The Peacekeepers
by EquinoxWolf
Summary: Months have passed since Midna shattered the Mirror of Twilight. Link is a shadow of his former self, ruined by anger and depression. When a mysterious man knocks on his door with a job offer and a chance to see the Twilight Princess again, what will Link be willing to give up in exchange?
1. Chapter 1: The Fallen Hero

**Hello everyone, my name is Equinoxwolf. This is the first chapter of my very first fan fiction, which I am excited about. Admittedly it took a bit of tinkering to figure out how to publish this correctly, including a botched up submission that didn't look good.**

**Anyway, before we get on with the story I just want to say a few things about myself. I'm a huge fan of Link and Midna pairings and got into fan fiction because I was unhappy with how Twilight Princess ended. I mean come on, I know that it's a custom for Link's sidekicks to walk of without warning but that was a d*ck move in that game.**

**I hope you enjoy The Peacekeepers as well as my future stories. I put a lot of care and commitment into writing them so it would make me happy to hear your reviews.**

**This is a non-profit fan fiction story. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the property of Nintendo. Please support the official release.**

* * *

**In the face of necessity and desire, no price is too high**

**Chapter 1: The Fallen Hero**

_The kingdom of Hyrule is a prosperous nation rich in beauty and wealth. It was a special place said to have been blessed by the goddesses who created this world. The peace was not to last, however, as the kingdom was thrown into turmoil time and time again by those who sought to control the land's sacred power. The most recent of such events was a time when Hyrule was covered by a perpetual Twilight. The people were transformed into spirits, tormented by the creatures of shadow that had invaded their world. When all seemed lost a lone Hero, chosen by the goddesses, rose to push the Twilight and its inhabitants back to the realm from which they came. Freed from their oppression, the people celebrated the Hero for his feats of strength and courage. If only they knew that there was more to the story, that something happened which had destroyed the Hero they believed to be invincible._

* * *

"Link! Careful, that goat's about to run loose!"

Link turned his head towards the goat in question. He had been trying to herd the animals with his partner Fado as was his daily routine. But as it had been for the past few months, neither his head nor his heart had been into the chore that had one time been his life. Had his reflexes been as sharp as they should be, he would have charged his horse, Epona, and caught the goat before it made it to the ranch gate. Fortunately Fado was already poised to intercept the stampeding animal and grabbed it by the horns, stopping it in its tracks.

"Fwooh." Fado sighed in relief once the animal had settled down, "Y'know bud, usually I'm the one whole lets the goats run off and you're the one who stops 'em."

Link did not respond. He rarely did these days. He always had his head hung low, staring at nothing with brooding eyes. It was as though now that the incident had passed he had lost all interest in it.

"Link, you never let the goats get away from you like that before. But ever since you came back from saving Hyrule a goat's escaped every other day, or tried to at least. Are you feelin' alright bud?"

Again Link did not respond. What could he possibly say? Fado could never understand what the goddesses' Chosen Hero was feeling or why. No one could save one, but that person could do no more to help him than anyone else in this world. Fado knew he would not get an answer so with a sad sigh he let the matter drop.

"Okay bud, let's call it a day." But Link was already steering Epona to the gate back to the village. Not one word was said.

Link rode slowly through Ordon Village, his mind wrapped in pity and loathing towards himself. He was vaguely aware of passing Ilea's house, his childhood friend. In the corner of his eye he saw her. She did not call to him but merely turned to walk inside. Two weeks ago Ilia had reprimanded Link for the lack of care he had been giving his horse, which she stated was worse than usual. Usually when this happened Link would say that he would take care of Epona better, but that time he said something else.

"Epona is my horse, not yours!" he shouted, "If you have a problem with that then you can take it up with someone who gives a damn!"

Ilia had burst into tears at those words. Link knew he should not have said them. He never yelled at his friends like that. He wanted to apologize ever since but he could never find the words or the courage to do so. They had not spoken to each other at all, stacking another item to the heavy pile of problems in Link's life. Just thinking about it was upsetting him now.

"Hey Link!" It was Talo with the rest of the children, waiting outside Link's tree house. "Link, can you show us your sword techniques please?"

Link dismounted Epona, not giving a single indication that he had heard the young boy's request. Talo eagerly grabbed Link's hand. "Come on Link, you haven't played with us in months. Get your sword and show us some of your moves."

Link angrily yanked his hand free of Talo's grip and turned towards him. "LEAVE ME ALONE TALO!" The younger boy stepped back a few paces, frightened by the outburst.

After a few long moments Talo recovered and glared back at him. "Fine. Go ahead and be boring. Just sit in your house all by yourself like a stinking loser!" He stormed off for home. The other children had been shocked as well by Link and turned to follow Talo. Even Colin, who normally held Link in the highest esteem, gave the older boy a sad look before he followed his friends.

Link climbed the ladder leading to his front door and entered his home. He slumped into a chair at his dining table and held his head in his hands. He should not have shouted at the children. They looked up to him and he knew that they only wanted to spend time with him. He was not angry with them, but he was so frustrated with himself that he did not know what to do, so he took it out on everyone around him.

Unconsciously his eyes turned towards the opening in the floor that led to the basement. Down there was a chest locked with his green Hero's tunic, his sword and shield, and all the other weapons and items that he had collected with Midna on their adventure.

Midna... He never saved Hyrule by himself. Never could have. The truth was he was only able to have done what he did because of the little imp that stood by him every step of the way. She was a Twili, the same race as those who had invaded Hyrule. But unlike her fellows she did not seek to conquer the Light Realm, all she wanted was to free her people of the curse that drove them to serve the evil Gerudo, Ganondorf, along with his henchmen, Zant.

Midna had always been an enigma to him. She was sassy, hot-headed, impatient and bossy. But after they got to know each other he had learned that she was also smart, funny, caring, passionate and selfless. He also learnt later on that she was in reality the princess of the Twilight Realm until Zant usurped her throne and transformed her into an imp. When her curse was broken Link discovered something else about her; she was beautiful, a thousand times more so than anyone or anything else he had ever seen before.

At first she treated him like dirt, but if it had not been for Midna Link would still be locked in a dungeon cell, trapped in a wolf's body and Hyrule would still be blanketed in everlasting Twilight. Eventually he thought of her as his closest friend and when she had to go home, to her world, it pained him to think about it.

_"Thank you," Midna told him. "As long as that mirror's around, we could meet again."_

It should have been a happy thought but there was nothing but sadness in her words.

_"Link. I... See you later," she said sadly._

Then with a tear, she shattered the Mirror of Twilight, the only connection between the Light and Twilight Realms. She did so that the two worlds could stay safe from each other. Tears threatened to flow from Link's eyes now. '_I never even got to say goodbye,_' he thought miserably. That was why he locked away his equipment where he could not see them; so that they could not bring back harsh memories. Not that it worked of course. He thought of her constantly.

As the first sob began to break there was a knock at the door. Link jumped in his seat, thrust back into the present. He stood up and hurriedly wiped the tears from his eyes as he walked towards the door. On the other side was a man who looked to be in his mid-forties. He had thick, unkempt black hair and a similarly scruffy beard. He wore a simple brown overcoat that reached past his knees over a similarly simple shirt and pair of trousers. His eyes had a certain look about them that made him look like a fierce warrior, but not an unfriendly one.

"Excuse me. I'm looking for a young man named Link. Are you him by any chance?"

Link only nodded slightly. Who was this guy and what did he want with him? The stranger took the tiny gesture as confirmation and smiled.

"Ah. Good. It's nice to meet you Link. My name is Callum."

* * *

"I like what you've done with the place," Callum commented as he gazed around the small living space. "It certainly feels like home." The stranger's hand casually ran along the smooth wood of the kitchen bench.

Link was still trying to process what was going on. This man knocks on his door looking for him, for no reason he could fathom, and let himself into Link's home. Now the guy was admiring the interior decorating.

"I've heard about the things you've accomplished a few months ago," Callum continued, still not looking at his host. "Imagine, a power-hungry warlord banished from the world a hundred years ago returns with an army of monsters and covers the entire country in darkness. Not even Hyrule's greatest knights were able to slow them down and the kingdom fell in a single day. Then when all seems lost a young ranch hand picks up a sword and starts undoing the invaders' work. Not an easy feat for a normal person to be sure. Of course you didn't do it all alone did you?"

Link shifted uncomfortably, trying not to think about _her_ again. "Well... no. You see I had some help from the resistance. They gave me some useful advice and helped me retake the castle."

Callum finally turned to face him. He wore a knowing smile. "Yes indeed, we most certainly can't ignore all that the resistance group did during that time. But I was not referring to them. I'm talking about that _other _friend of yours, the one who hid in the shadows, whispering into your ear. What was her name again, Midna?."

Link flinched, his mind buzzing with questions. How could he possibly know Midna's name? Link had never told another soul about her. "Who are you?" he demanded angrily, "How do you know about Midna? And what the hell are you doing in my living room?"

Callum gestured an offer for Link to sit down at his own table. "Perhaps we should make ourselves comfortable. This will take some time." Link wordlessly accepted and pulled out a chair, not taking his eyes of the mysterious man. "Now what I am about to tell you may sound far fetched but I assure you that it is the truth." Callum spoke calmly as if the pending conversation was familiar for him.

"I belong to a special group. We call ourselves the Peacekeepers. Our Order operates across the world in secret, unbeknownst by the general population. Our main objective is to ensure world peace and maintain the precarious balance of power between nations. If a ruler becomes a tyrant over their people or decides that they want more land than they already control, we deal with them one way or another.

"We are an elite intelligence force learning as much as we can about the world. To answer your second question, we were watching you and your friend the whole time during your grand adventure. We know that you were collecting the Fused Shadows. We know that Midna's plan to use them against Zant failed miserably. We know that you both hunted the fragments of the Mirror of Twilight in order to enter the Twilight Realm. And we know that it was you who defeated the men who caused all the trouble."

Callum paused to let his words sink in. Link could not believe he was hearing. There was a secret organisation that protected world peace? The idea sounded too crazy to be true. If it was then where were they when Ganondorf brought Hyrule to its knees? But the things these people knew about him... about her... there was no other explanation for it.

"Now as for why I am here," Callum continued. "You see, the Peacekeepers are always searching for people such as yourself to recruit as agents, working in the field to help people. I have come to you with an offer to become a Peacekeeper so that you may use your skills for a greater good."

Link did not need to think about the proposal for a second. "Hmmph. Thanks but no thanks," he said. "I'm done with playing the Hero. It's done nothing for me but cause me pain." Link rose from his seat. "You know where the door is. Don't let it hit you on the way out."

Disappointed, Callum stood up to leave. "Very well, it's a shame though. You're wasting a golden opportunity here." He stopped a few paces from the door and half turned back to Link. "I wonder how Midna would feel if she knew that the man who risked his life for her has given up. Would she be sad? Disappointed? Would she lose her respect for you?"

Link saw red, his body quaking in fury. How dare he talk about her like that? "You bastard!" Link screamed as he threw a left hook at the Peacekeeper's head. Callum made no move to block or dodge the punch. Instead he turned his head fully towards his attacker and spoke with an empowered tone.

_"Body Seal!"_

In an instant Link's advance was halted, his fist frozen in place mere inches away from the other man's nose. Link panicked, trying to understand what had just happened. He tried to move but his muscles refused to obey him. All he could do was to stare at the strange visitor who had completely immobilized him. '_Is this magic?' _Link asked himself.

"Now I admit what I said was uncalled for and for that I am sincerely sorry." There was no sign of anger in Callum's voice or face. "But I strongly suggest that you never try that again." He released the spell that held Link, causing the Hero to stumble to the floor.

Callum lent Link a hand and helped him back to his feet. "Look, I would really appreciate it if you considered my offer. I can tell that you miss the Twilight Princess," he pulled a small mirror out of his pocket, "and I can tell that she misses you too."

Link looked at the reflective surface, seeing his own face. Then the image distorted itself until it displayed something else. In the mirror he could see a water fountain, crafted from black stone. A statue resembling a woman holding an upturned jar stood in the fountain's center with water flowing out of the jar. Sitting on the fountain's side was a tall feminine figure in a black cloak. The cloaked woman was staring absently into the water. The image focused on the woman's hood revealing a beautiful but sad face. It was Midna.

Link grabbed the mirror out of Callum's hand. "Midna!" he called, "Midna!"

"She can't hear you," Callum explained. "This is a scrying mirror, travel size. Not unheard of in some countries. It allows one to view people and places in the present that they wish to see. We use these as part of our primary intelligence gathering. It's possible to use these as a method of communication but that requires another mirror to be synced to this one, which there isn't in this case."

Link continued to gaze at the small object in his hands. "Let's make a deal Link." Callum said, getting the young man's attention. "If you agree to consider joining the Peacekeepers carefully, I will take you to speak to Midna in person. In fact, I'll even hold up my end of the bargain first as a show of goodwill."

Link's mouth opened in surprised, his spirits rising for the first time in months. He could see Midna again? He could not help but feel doubtful though. Was it even possible? Midna had destroyed the only way in or out of the Twilight Realm. Could there really be another way?

He was not sure if this would work but the prospect of reuniting with his dearest friend was too great to pass up. "Alright, if you take me to Midna I'll think about it. That doesn't mean I'll say yes though."

Callum smiled. "That's good enough for me. Now again, I'm sorry."

"For what?" Link asked suspiciously.

"For this. _Dream Shroud!_" Suddenly Link's legs gave way and his vision turned black. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

* * *

**And that is Chapter 1 completed, yay. :D I want to give special mention to Ryuakego and Sirdeon425 who also new authors and have already shown support for me. Please take a look at their works, though they still have a long way to go, they both show great potential as writers. I will update this story on a weekly basis and that's a guarantee.**

**Until next time,**

**Equinoxwolf**


	2. Chapter 2: Return to the Twilight

**Hello everybody, it's me again. You know, this week was actually difficult for me because I couldn't wait to update. I was planning to hold out for a few more days but I just can't stand it anymore. In the past week I can't believe how many hits my first chapter received and I want to shout out a big thank you to everyone who has followed me, favourited me and reviewed.**

**SilverRobin asked in his/her review whether Nintendo should publish a sequel to Twilight Princess in book form and whether I agree. I thought it was nice of SilverRobin to ask but I am unable to reply personally because it was a guest review. Could you please sign in to the website when you review because I would love to be able to discuss things with you.**

**To answer the question; I don't think Nintendo should because I would wager they would spend a lot of the time keeping Link and Midna separated and sad which to be honest, I hate because it depresses me. Since Nintendo has no plans to do such a thing [not even in a game, jerks :( ] I believe it would be better for them to leave the responsibility to us fans. This gives us a greater amount of freedom to unleash our imaginations, which is what fan fiction is about, and choose what we want to happen. If anyone from the company is reading this, I love Nintendo and the Legend of Zelda series.**

**Anyway, I've waffled on long enough so let's move on to Chapter 2...**

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**Chapter 2: Return to the Twilight**

Link's head was spinning when he woke up. His vision was out of focus but he could tell that was not in his house anymore. After a few moments his was able to make out his surroundings. He was lying in an unfamiliar room, not decorated by anything other than the bed he had been sleeping on and a small square table in the middle of the room.

He rubbed his temples, trying to recall what had happened. He remembered coming home in Ordon after work and he was visited by a man named... Callum. What had he said? He wanted Link to join... the Peacekeepers and... and... Midna. He said he would take him to see Midna. Link bolted out of bed, eager to find out where he was and where that bastard who knocked him out was hiding.

There was a closed door on the far side of the room. Before Link could take a step towards it there was a knock coming from behind it. The door swung open without waiting for a response and Callum entered the room.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully. "Sleep well I presume?"

"Sleep?" Link said tersely. "You knocked me out cold! Where the hell are we anyway?"

Callum gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. You have to understand that I did it for security reasons. We are in Skyloft, the Peacekeepers' headquarters. Since you haven't agreed to join us yet it is best if you don't know where exactly we are or how to get here. Anyway take a seat as we still have much to discuss."

"I already know a fair bit about you people," Link said as they sat down at the table. "What's so wrong about me knowing how to get back home?"

Callum stroked his beard as he answered. "Well you see if you knew the location of our home base and you do refuse our offer, you could very well tell people about us which could damage our operations and risk the lives of hundreds of our agents working undercover. If you can't lead anyone here, you have no proof so even if you do talk about us no one would believe you."

"I guess you have a point there," Link admitted. "So what's the deal with all this secrecy?'

"Very good question," Callum replied. "As I've already told you, the Peacekeepers specialize in intelligence. Gathering accurate and useful intelligence is a little difficult when the enemy knows you're there watching so it's best if we work incognito. This involves inserting spies among the enemy, planting agents close to heads of government, blending in with the common people and the like. We prefer to have eyes and ears everywhere."

"It sounds like that gives you guys a lot of power," Link commented. "Having insiders next to world leaders, I bet that allows you to have some influence."

Callum made a gesture that said '_you caught us_'. "That is true and sometimes we do exploit that opportunity. But I assure you that we do have a strict code of ethics and we make it a rule never to have one of our own actually in charge of a country. If we started ruling nations then that would make us no better than the people we try to stop; tyrants and megalomaniacs et cetera."

Link sat back in his chair and folded his arms. "Look, this is interesting and all but I'd like to know how we're going to get into the Twilight Realm. If you people are as smart and all-knowing as you make out then you know that Midna destroyed the Mirror which is the only way there."

The Peacekeeper chuckled. "You think so do you?" Link did not understand. The man stood up and walked towards the door. He opened it and said something to someone outside. A moment later an older man entered the room. Link took one look at the guy and nearly fell back on his chair. Only one thought remained in his brain.

"You're... you're a Twili!" he stammered. It was true, the man had the same black and teal-grey skin patterns, cyan tattoos and yellowed eyes that were characteristic of the race of shadow magicians. His face was wrinkled and his hair was wispy and grey with age.

"Well that's a first," the old Twili laughed. "Usually when new recruits see me they're all 'Aaargh! What is that thing?!' Truth be told, I'm actually half-Twili from my mother's side."

"Link, this is Jarret," Callum introduced the Twili hybrid. "Jarret's been with us since the day he was born and he is one of our best agents."

Jarret shook his head and chuckled. "Is? I've been too old for that work for ten years. Might have been a real hotshot back then but those days are history."

Link was still trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing right in front of him. There was a Twili, a half-Twili, standing in the same room as him in the Light Realm. How old was this guy; fifty, sixty? And he was born into the Peacekeepers? What did all of this mean? It did not make any sense at all.

Jarret noticed Link's confusion and grinned. "I think we'd better explain things to the boy Callum. He looks like he's going to faint any second."

"If you say so," Callum agreed as they two men sat down in front of Link. "The first thing you need to understand Link is that the Mirror of Twilight from the Arbiter's Grounds is only one of its kind. Supposedly there are eight in total, four in each realm. Currently the Order has found and secured four of them, five if you count the one our dear Princess Midna destroyed. Not a what you would call a hefty loss though. Right now we have people trying to repair that the Mirror but it's taking time. The remaining ones are still hidden though we are working on finding them. We've almost made a breakthrough with locating the next Mirror.

"Anyway, the Order obtained its first Mirror about two hundred years ago. We immediately expanded our operations to the Twilight Realm and once we learnt the language we started recruiting Twili. Shadow magic has proved very helpful for us on numerous occasions. We make frequent trips between the worlds and we even have a base in the Twilight Realm not unlike this one. We have one of the Mirrors here on Skyloft which we'll be using to enter the Twilight Realm."

"Well what are we waiting for?" Link literally jumped out of his seat. "Let's go."

Callum smiled at his newfound enthusiasm. "Very well then, let's be off. Jarret thank you for taking the time to talk with us."

"Don't mention it. Anything for a friend. Good luck with whatever it is you two are doing."

* * *

"This place is amazing," Link said in awe as he twisted his head this way and that, trying to take in as much as he could of the Peacekeepers' base. Many different kinds of people, presumably all agents, could be seen all over. There were humans, Gorons, Zora, Twili, female Gerudo and other races that Link had never seen before. When he and Callum crossed the first bridge to the Skyloft Mirror Chamber, Link noticed through the corner of his eye that something was not quite right. He leaned over the railing and saw nothing but clouds below.

"Goddesses!" he shouted as he jumped back. "We're in the sky!"

"Well this place is named Skyloft after all," Callum responded humorously. "I don't see why you're so surprised by this since you have visited the sky before. Although, you've probably never been _this_ high before."

"Are you telling me this place is further from the ground than the Oocca city?" Link asked, remembering the constant sense of acrophobia he felt during his visit with Midna to the floating City in the Sky. No wonder the exterior of Skyloft was so breezy.

"If we're up in the sky then what's the point of not letting people know how to find this place?" Link continued. "In case you haven't noticed, people don't usually fly around and bump in to floating islands."

"That's true," Callum mused, "But a skilled magician would be able to warp here if he or she knew where to go. Plus there is the matter of that old Sky Cannon you had repaired a few months ago."

Not able to find anything to say to that, Link let the topic go. He felt relieved when they entered the next building, no longer being able to see any sign of the seemingly endless drop beneath the island. After a few corners and hallways the two men came to a door with strange blue runes running all over it. Callum placed his palm inside a large circular outline that glowed green with a mystical quality. "Aura scan authentication. Can't get in unless you're allowed to," Callum quickly explained as the door unlocked and slid open on its own.

On the other side was a large and rather grand room. Torches burnt along the walls, light from the flames reflecting off the black polished floor. A raised pedestal occupied the center of the room holding a large, round, silvery mirror. It looked exactly like the Mirror of Twilight before it had been broken, including the intricate patterns that covered its reflective face.

"I don't believe it," Link gasped. He extended a hand to stroke the relic until the Peacekeeper grabbed his wrist.

"Careful," he warned, "just like the other Mirrors, this thing houses very dangerous magic so look but don't touch. On second thoughts don't even look at it closely."

Callum waved his hand through the air and the Mirror shone with an otherworldly light. The Mirror's engravings were projected outwards onto the opposite wall, spinning in different directions. The patterns on the wall extended backwards opening a familiar, black tunnel. Phantasmal steps manifested before the pedestal leading towards the portal.

"Are you ready?" Callum smiled at the young Hero. He received no reply though as Link had already charged headlong up the stairs. "I'll take that as a yes," Callum chuckled as he followed him.

* * *

After what felt like half a second and an eternity at the same time, Link's body reassembled itself from the small, black, magical packets it had been broken up into when he entered the portal. He took a look around. The room he had just appeared in looked similar to the one he just left only instead of torches the room was illuminated by glowing blue orbs. They were sols, the primary light sources of the Twilight Realm. Link stood on a similar looking pedestal with another Mirror resting dormant on it.

"I'm back," Link whispered to himself. He heard an echoing chime as Callum materialized behind him.

"I forgot how much I hate warping," Callum muttered. "Never get used to that tingling or the feeling of being sucked down a giant drain."

Link grinned at the older man's discomfort. Warping had once been a daily activity for him when he was with Midna so he was used to it. And now he was finally in the same world as her again. He grinned wider; the Twilight Princess was just a stone's throw away now.

"Alright," Callum said after a moment, "let's make ourselves presentable and be on our way." He stood in front of Link and spoke in the same tone as he did whenever else he did something unpleasant to the Hero. "_Shadow Cloak._"

A peculiar buzzing sensation washed over Link's body. He looked down at his hands and saw them turn into a mottle of grey and black. Link looked at his bare arm and studied the glowing tattoos that now marked him. He glanced at Callum in surprise to see the man's appearance shimmer and change as well. Instead of a human, the Peacekeeper now looked exactly like a Twili.

"What just happened?" Link asked, baffled by the new color of his skin. Even his work clothes had been dyed black with a few minor alterations made to them.

"Don't worry, it's only an illusion. Humans are not a common sight in the Twilight Realm so we need to blend in. While we're here I suggest you leave all the talking to me since Hylian isn't part of standard Twili education. Don't even say a word until I tell you to.

"We're going to warp directly to the royal palace." Callum groaned in distaste. 'At least we're not flying there. If there is any mode of transportation I hate worse than warping it's riding on a kargarok. Those things are unpleasant to sit on or listen to and I'll be damned if I have to travel with two of them."

* * *

Link gazed in longing at the obsidian structure before him. It was a dark yet tranquil scene with the black towers against the cloudy golden sky of eternal twilight. This place reminded Link a bit of the terrifying moments where he fled, sol in hand, from the creeping, unbeatable stone hands that Zant created. Apart from that unsavory memory, the Palace of Twilight was the one place where things wanted to kill him that he actually dreamed of coming back to.

Twili moved this way and that in great numbers, none of which paid the two imposters any mind. It seemed that the Twilight Realm had recovered a great deal since the true ruler of the Twili returned to the throne. Link and Callum walked towards the main entrance to the palace where they were blocked by two armed guards who looked at them suspiciously.

"_Halt_," one said in a language Link could not decipher. "_What business do you have here?_"

Callum must have understood since he did not bat an eyelid as he reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of paper. "_Hello good sir," _he greeted in perfect Twilian. "_My friend and I have a very important appointment with Her Majesty. I think you'll find this letter has everything in order._"

The guard snatched the document from Callum's hand and examined it. He mumbled fragments of the message as he read. Finally he returned his gaze to the Peacekeeper. "_Kohwanah Province, eh? That's quite a long way away. Got the royal seal and all so I guess you can go through. Go to the foyer and take the first elevator, goes straight to the throne room. _" The guard handed back the letter and he and his partner stepped out of the way to allow the visitors to pass.

When Link was sure they were out of earshot he leaned towards Callum "What was that about?" he whispered.

Callum raised an eyebrow at his companion. "I thought I told you not to talk. I just showed them a letter that said that the princess has invited us to re-establish a peace treaty with one of the clans in the far north. It was the seal of the royal family that sold it of course. The document was a forgery by the way."

Link stared in absolute shock. "You forged Midna's seal?" he exclaimed a little too loudly. He cupped his hand over his mouth but thankfully no one was around to hear, or understand him for that matter. Forging the seal of the royal family in Hyrule was considered an act of treason, punishable by death or exile. It would not be unusual for the same to be true in the Twilight Realm either.

"Oh don't be like that," Callum smirked as the blue rectangular outline of the elevator lifted them up into the air. "The Peacekeepers have a perfect replica of everybody's seal. You never know when you need to pretend to represent the mayor of Termina."

The elevator stopped before a set of stairs leading to the large double doors of the throne room. Link's stomach felt like a hornets' nest as he realized he was less than fifty meters away from his long lost friend. What would he say? How would she react? Would she be glad to see him or will she be angry with him? After all she intentionally broke the Mirror of Twilight to keep the worlds separated. Link was starting to worry about whether this was a good idea at all. He jumped a little when Callum placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you're nervous but try to stay calm. Remember we are in disguise and I don't want to make a scene. So when you see Midna do not react until we are alone with her. Do you understand?"

Link nodded, his throat feeling too tight to speak. "Okay," Callum said, "let's go then."

* * *

Princess Midna was arguably the most beautiful woman in this world. She was tall, strong and elegant. She wore an open black hooded cloak and sarong which left much of her figure exposed seductively. Her body was pale grey with black skin covering her arms, breasts and her entire left leg. Her fiery hair shone bright in its double pigtails fused together at her chest and her yellow-and-red sunset eyes were captivating to any who looked into them.

But her beauty seemed to have faded somewhat since she returned from the Light Realm. Now any who gazed at her only saw great sadness, as though everything that made the princess happy had been taken away from her. In a way it was true.

On her throne she slumped with her head resting on her open palm, barely listening to the squabbling of the two nobles that stood before her. She thought that they were talking about some territory dispute and one of them hunting in the borders of the other. Of course, she had not been paying attention and to be honest she really did not care.

Midna decided that she finally had enough of these pompous idiots. "_Thank you for bringing this to my attention,_" she said in a bored voice, not even caring if the statement was appropriate, "_I will be sure to bring up the matter in the next council meeting. You are dismissed._" The two nobles were obviously dissatisfied with the conclusion of the court session and turned grudgingly away, muttering disrespectfully as they exited the room.

Midna turned to her advisor, Eddard. "_Bring in the next lot,_" she sighed. She would much rather be somewhere else than in this damned throne. She did not know where but anyplace was better than the bleak, over-sized chair that owned her life, preventing her from being free to be wherever or with whoever she wanted. '_No_,' she thought, '_I will not think about _him.' It hurt too much thinking about the Hero she had been forced to leave forever, even after he had given her back her entire life. What kind of thank you was that?

Eddard opened the wretchedly grandiose doors that stood opposite of the princess. Two men walked in. One was a middle-aged Twili with a thick, unkempt black beard. The other Twili was much younger, clean faced with snow white hair that was equally scruffy. The younger one seemed rather tense compared to his companion's relaxed posture. Something about the young one seemed familiar, he looked almost like... '_No!_' Midna scolded herself mentally. '_Stop it. He's gone, gone forever._' Damn it she wished she could just end this living nightmare now. The fool just stared intensely at her with wide, blue eyes, making her even more uncomfortable.

"_What is it that you want?_" she asked a little too harshly. These people hardly deserved her foul mood but she did not care at the moment.

The bearded one stepped forward and bowed. Midna rolled her eyes at the gesture, she was _that_ sick of it. "_It is an honour Your Majesty. Before I continue, I humbly request that my companion and I speak to you in private. We have something to discuss with you that I'm afraid cannot be shared with anyone else._"

Ordinarily Midna would refuse such a request but she wanted these people out of her sight as soon as possible so she decided to give them what they wanted. She ordered her guards to frisk the two men for weapons. There was a knife hidden on the older one, but he presented it on his own accord, while his partner had no weapons on his person. She then commanded Eddard and the guards to leave the room. Unwillingly they obeyed but there was little to worry about. The two strangers were unarmed and Princess Midna was the most powerful sorceress in the Twilight Realm. She could easily take care of herself.

When the doors slammed shut Midna spoke again. "_There, we are alone. Now tell me why you are here._"

The bearded one smiled politely. "_Of course Your Majesty. My name is Callum and my friend here... well, I believe you have already know his name._" He turned to his companion and waved his hand in the air. Both of their appearances shifted out of focus as their illusionary disguises faded out of existence. Midna gasped in shock at the figures before her.

The older man looked no more different other than his skin color changing to that of a human's but it was the other one who caught her full attention. In addition to the same skin change, the young man's hair became a dirty blonde, _his _hair. It was Link, dressed in a patchwork of white cloth that she had only ever seen him wear for a few brief seconds when he first entered the Twilight, before its dark energies transformed him into a beast.

How is this possible? Could it really be him? Midna spent no time pondering these questions in her head as she literally flew to the only real friend she had ever had and pulled him into a crushing embrace.

"Link," she said in Hylian, sobbing into his shoulder. Were they tears of joy, of sadness? She was not sure. "It's really you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," she cried barely comprehensively.

His strong, well-built arms held her tight, his own tears dampening her cloak. He smelt of a rich forest as she always remembered he had. In the back of her mind she noticed that he had grown half a head taller since she last saw him, bringing them to equal height. Midna had never been so happy to see someone in all her life. In her dreams she wanted to hold him just like this and now she finally could.

"I missed you Midna," he whispered.

* * *

**And... scene. How was that little reunion? I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. Now I have something I need to tell you all. Next week I will be unable to submit the next chapter until the weekend due to technical reasons. I am debating on compensating for this by posting it this weekend before I get cut off. I'll see how things turn out.**

**Until next time. Please rate and review.**

**EquinoxWolf**


	3. Chapter 3: Friends Reunited

**Hello again. I've decided that I would post Chapter 3 so here it is. I want to thank Magic Basher54986 and Lauren Chamberlain for their incredible reviews. I also want to thank The Dragon of Chaos for their review as well, I sense that I have someone to try to impress now.**

**Just a reminder, for most of next week I will be completely cut off from the internet so I will not be updating this story or responding to any reviews or private messages until next weekend. Now please enjoy Chapter 3.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Friends Reunited**

After how long they could not tell, Link and Midna finally broke away from each other. Both were red-eyed and smiled like that neither of them had done so in so long. The bearded Peacekeeper had waited patiently throughout the entire exchange in silence, allowing the youths to have their moment.

"Link," Midna finally said, "what are you doing here? How did you get here? Who is this person?" She looked at Callum. He was well-muscled and stood tall with confidence, traits of an experienced fighter. His eyes drew her attention, they were blue and there was something about them that was... no. She shook her head slightly, she was imagining things.

The man gave her a warm smile. "As I have told you Princess, my name is Callum. While there is something I would like to discuss with you privately, I believe that it can wait until the two of you have had some time to catch up."

Callum cast the spell that masked the two humans again before heading towards the doors. "I'm going to go for a walk," he told them. "I will see you both in a few hours."

After he left, Midna stuck her head outside and told her advisor to cancel of her remaining appointments for the cycle, using the term that was the equivalent of a day in the Light Realm. As the Twilight Realm had no day or night their sense of time was maintained by the hands of a twenty four hour clock that great pains were taken to keep accurate.

She took Link's hand and they warped together out of the room. There was something about the awkward dismantling sensation that made them both feel at ease. When they re materialized Link found himself in a luxurious room, which he assumed was Midna's bed chambers. She led him to an ornate couch on one side.

"Link, I'm so glad to see you again," Midna said as they sat down, sounding more composed after her initial reaction to the Hero's surprise visit. "I'm so sorry for destroying the Mirror, really I am." She averted her eyes, fearing to look at his face.

"Why did you do it?" Link asked. Long ago he guessed the answer to that question but he felt that he needed to hear her say it.

Midna looked down at her hands which fidgeted on her lap. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought that if I could keep our worlds apart then people like Zant could never cause anymore harm. At the time I was thinking about what was good for everyone. But I wasn't thinking of what I wanted. After I broke the Mirror, fully realizing that I would never see you again, I regretted it ever since. I haven't been able to focus and I'm afraid that I haven't been a good ruler to my people because of it."

Link put an arm around her. "Don't say that. I saw the Twili on my way here, they looked so much better than when Zant had taken over. You are a good ruler Midna, believe it."

She smiled slightly, enjoying the contact. "Thanks Link, but I know that I could do a lot better. I just missed you so much that I couldn't think of anything else."

"I missed you too," Link said, holding her closer. "These past few months haven't been well for me either. When you left I felt like I must have done something wrong, something to make you never want to see me again. For a long time I felt angry with myself and I often took it out on the other villagers. Ilia's no longer talking to me after I said some harsh things and the kids have lost almost all of their respect for me." He gave a short, dry laugh, "It's so bad that Fado's actually doing a better job at herding goats than I am."

Midna covered her mouth, her eyes glistening with guilt. "Link... I'm so sorry for putting you through that. It wasn't anything to do with you at all. I hated the thought of leaving you behind but I couldn't see another way."

Ages passed before Midna finally broke the silence that had fallen. "How did you come back Link? I thought that the Mirror of Twilight was the only connection to Hyrule."

Link pulled back is arm, feeling uneasy. "It's a really long story."

"I've got time," she smirked. He took one look at her impish grin and smiled. He had missed that grin.

And so he told her everything; Callum visiting out of the blue asking Link to join the Peacekeepers, what little he knew about the secret order, and the existence of the other Mirrors of Twilight. The whole time Midna sat wordlessly, her expression changing from guilt to confusion to surprise. When he finished Midna sighed as she took it all in.

"I can't believe there is more than one Mirror," she said. "And I also can't believe there has been a group of people running around my kingdom for goddesses know how long interfering with our politics." She was quite annoyed by this piece of news.

"Me neither," Link said. "These people seem to know everything and are all over the place. The fact that they were watching us the whole time before is what gets me the most."

Their conversation was interrupted when there was a knock at the door. When Midna gave her permission to enter Callum entered the room. He smiled at the Hero and the princess who became so much livelier in such a short time.

"Hello there. Looks like you two are enjoying yourselves," he commented. He then turned to Link. "I suppose you've been telling the princess all you know about the Peacekeepers haven't you?" The shame and embarrassment on the boy's face was all the answer he needed.

"Don't worry," Callum chuckled, "I was planning on telling Midna myself but you seem to have saved me the trouble." He pulled up a chair and sat down. "However for future reference I have to ask you not to ever reveal any information regarding the Order. As you know, we need to remain top secret." Link nodded to show that he understood.

"Right," Callum said, "it's time to talk about why we are all here. Midna, Link may have told you this but I'm going to say this anyway. The Peacekeepers are a group that seeks to keep the world, or worlds I should say, in balance."

Midna gave him a hard look. "Yes I know. And you also have spies looking over the shoulders of every king and queen there is. How many of your people do you have keeping tabs on me? Don't think that Link hasn't told me about the invitation that I 'sent' you or the treaty that's not due to be renewed for another five months."

The Peacekeeper gave her an apologetic smile. "All necessary evils I assure you. I cannot reveal the identities of the agents under your service though I will tell you that your adviser Eddard knows nothing of us, his loyalty belongs to you alone."

"Good to know," she said sarcastically. There was the Midna sassiness that Link had grown to love.

Callum ignored her tone. "We are always looking for those with exceptional skills and the makings of heroes to recruit as agents. We like to have the best people who will always put others before themselves.

"When Ganondorf and Zant took over the Twilight Realm and attacked Hyrule, we prepared to take care of them ourselves. But then we noticed that the Twilight covering the Faron Province disappeared suddenly and we learnt that you two were responsible. We were impressed by you so we decided to sit back and watch how far you could go; ready to step in if you failed."

"That was very nice of you," Link scowled.

"I have a question," Midna said. Callum fixed his gaze on her. "If you had men watching over the palace, where were they when Zant attacked?"

The Peacekeeper's mouth twisted before he answered. "It shames me to say it, but the invasion caught us off guard as well. Our spies were all transformed into Shadow Beasts just as everyone else was. It all happened so quickly none of them had time to send out a distress signal. We didn't notice what was going on until we discovered that this place had gone dark and by then the palace had already fallen and you were seeking help from Link and Princess Zelda." The Twilight Princess said nothing and held the man with a firm glare.

"Moving on," Callum continued, "I came to Link yesterday asking him to join us. He initially refused but he then agreed to reconsider if I reunited the two of you."

Midna's expression softened. "Well... thank you. It means a lot to me that you did that. I suppose you did a good thing for both of us."

Callum nodded but then his face turned serious. "There is more to the story however. We do not want Link solely for his skills. In fact they have most likely deteriorated significantly as he has been neglecting his training since you returned to your people." Midna's head snapped to face Link, who had taken a keen interest in his feet, his face burning bright red.

"Oh, so he didn't tell you that?" Callum inquired, not at all surprised. "It has been so long since he last picked up a blade that we are worried if he is even still capable of using one. But there is a reason why we want Link now; we need him. We have a problem that only the legendary Hero of the Goddesses is able to fix."

"What kind of problem?" Link asked, not liking the tone in the man's voice.

Callum looked Link right in the eye. "A big one. It would be no exaggeration to say that we are faced with the end of the world. Both worlds."

* * *

"I suppose I should start from the beginning," Callum said. "Though we are very picky about whom we recruit and special care is taken in the upbringing of those born into the Order, there is occasionally a bad apple in the orchard. This one particular apple is named Brandon and he has gone as bad as one can possibly get.

"Brandon was once one of our best agents, as well as my closest friend, but somewhere down the line he strayed from the path of the Peacekeepers. He got it into his head that we should be in complete control of the world instead of merely influencing it in small ways. He believed that it was the best way to ensure peace.

"People soon stopped listening to Brandon's rambles but that did not discourage him. I caught him researching mind control and uncovered a scheme to turn the king of Holodrum into his puppet. When I confronted him he tried to convince me to help him, eventually by force. As I am still here you can guess the outcome of that particular disagreement.

"Afterwards I reported him to the Peacekeeper council. Brandon anticipated that the council was going to have him arrested so he took what he could carry and fled. He disappeared for a couple of months and the next time we found him he had become the leader of the Demon's Flames."

"Demon's Flames?" Midna asked, a little confused.

"They are a religious cult that worships a god known as Demise," Callum explained. "Demise was an evil being who ruled an army of demons thousands of years ago. He sought to possess the power of the Triforce and nearly wiped out the entire human race just to get to it. The goddess Hylia, who the Golden Goddesses entrusted with the Triforce, created Skyloft and sent the surviving humans to live there above the clouds. She then engaged in battle with Demise, which resulted in Demise being sealed underground and Hylia losing most of her divine power.

"Hylia feared that Demise would one day return so she created the Goddess Sword which would assist a chosen Hero who would be able to fight the fallen god. Hylia also gave up her immortality and took the form of a human, her spirit being passed on through her vessel's bloodline. Millennia passed until the seal holding Demise began to fade. Remnants of the demon army kidnapped the girl who at the time possessed Hylia's spirit. The Hero of the Sky, Link's earliest recorded predecessor, acquired the Goddess Sword and went to save her. To keep the story short, Demise was released from his prison and the Hero of the Sky fought him in single combat. Against all odds, he prevailed and Demise was defeated.

"The Demon's Flames believe that Demise will one day rise yet again and bring about the end of the world, leaving only those loyal to him to remain. We assume that Brandon aims to help them resurrect Demise so that he can bring about the apocalypse and build a utopia from the world's ashes."

"We never considered the Flames to be a threat before as they were small in numbers and lacked any real military power. Despite Brandon's skill there is no way that he could possibly hope to prevent the Peacekeepers from stopping him. At least that is what the situation used to be." Callum paused to take a deep breath.

"During his search for a way to bring back Demise, Brandon found an ancient tomb. Inside he discovered the sealed form of Demise's second in command, the Demon Lord Ghirahim. Brandon released Ghirahim and made a pact with him. Now with Ghirahim leading the Demon's Flames as well we have no chance of stopping them. Every agent we sent in to eliminate their leaders never comes back alive. According to our research, the only being to have ever bested the Demon Lord was the Hero of the Sky. That's why we need you Link; as his descendant you are the only person who can fight him."

Link and Midna were silent as they absorbed this information. It definitely sounded like the world was in terrible danger. "Why do you guys need me to become one of you?" Link asked. "If I'm the only one who can beat this Giri-whatshisname, then just point me in the right direction and I'll take him down."

"That would be the ideal scenario but that is no longer the case," Callum replied, brow furrowed. "Unfortunately for us, your fighting skills are rusty from months of taking it easy so you are no match for him in your current state." Link opened his mouth to argue but Callum stopped him. "Even if you were at your prime it doesn't matter. Brandon has been busy teaching his new accomplice a few new tricks, making the demon even more powerful than ever. If you are going to have any chance against Ghirahim now, you will have to join the Order and receive similar training from us."

Link threw his hands up in irritation. "Fine, sign me up then if it means so much to you."

Callum gave him a gesture to wait. "Hold your horses there, partner. It's not as simple as that."

"What are you talking about? You abduct me from my own house and bring me across dimensions to get me to agree to help you and when I finally say yes, you say _it's not that easy_? What's the problem?" Link asked, even more annoyed.

"Joining the Peacekeepers is not a thing where you just fill out a form and you become a member. There is a catch if you choose to accept our invitation. Our organisation works outside of the world so that we can protect it. Therefore we cannot allow our agents to have connections to anyone on the outside. This means that you must say goodbye to your friends and family forever. When you become a Peacekeeper, it's for life."

For a few moments Link did not know what to think. The world clearly needed his help again and not doing anything would be disastrous, but could he really leave behind everyone he had ever cared about?

"The other villagers would probably be better off without me and I don't feel like I belong there anymore," he finally said, "but can't I continue to see Midna? You guys can easily travel to the Twilight Realm so I could visit her every now and then, can't I?"

Callum closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. This rule is not negotiable. At any rate, a human in the Twilight Realm would raise questions, and could attract unwanted attention. If you refuse us, I will have no choice but to take you back to Ordon Village and you will never be able to see Midna again."

Link felt a moment of panic. "Can't I stay here then? I could use that spell you put on us to keep my identity a secret." Midna was deeply touched by his words but Callum shook his head again.

"I'm sorry Link but that is not possible. The spell only works for a limited time. You might have noticed that your disguise has already faded while we were talking."

Link jumped to his feet, outraged by the situation the other man had put him in. "Are you serious?! Are you telling me that no matter what I decide to do I can never see Midna again?! Why did you even offer to bring me here in the first place, is this your idea of joke?! Well newsflash, it's not funny!"

Midna stood up to try to calm her friend down. Callum merely sat calmly, waiting for the Hero to settle some. "Link, I did not bring you here solely for my amusement. There is a reason why I reunited you with Midna and why I am telling her about the Peacekeepers now. There is a third option here that you are not seeing; that Midna joins the Order as well." That shut Link up immediately. Did he hear right?

"Midna has also proven to be courageous and selfless during your quest to stop Ganondorf. In addition, her magical abilities far exceed most sorcerers, including Peacekeeper agents. I figure seeing as how you two make such a perfect team you should be able to join the Order together. Of course if Midna chooses to accept, she must agree to the same terms as you have to."

A wave of joy washed over Midna and she considered the offer but something stopped her from saying yes. "But my people..." she said sadly, "I can't just leave them. I have a duty to fulfill." Callum nodded at her statement.

"Yes, that is the crux of the problem. You are the last of your family line so you have no blood heir to take your place. But there is something I wish to ask you; are you happy with the life you're living?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Midna exclaimed. "It doesn't matter how I feel about my life, I have to think about what's best for my people. That's what a good ruler does."

"Yes but you also need to think about what is best for you," Callum said softly. "Since you reclaimed your throne you have been miserable and that has seriously affected your duties as a princess. You are not doing the Twili or yourself any favors by continuing to live like this."

Callum stood up, "I will give you two some time to mull this over. I suggest you think very carefully about what is at stake here."

He turned away from the two of them and exited the bedroom. Link and Midna faced each other anxiously, both struggling with the difficult decision that they have to make.

* * *

***Gasp* Oh no, conflict. What will Link and Midna do? So what did you think about this chapter?**

**I have something I want to talk to you all about. I have this other LoZTP story in my head but I'm a little anxious about writing it. I call it Cursed by Shadow and the main concept involves the Twili having a closer resemblance to vampires; sucking the life out of victims to survive and turning them into Twili. My main concern is how closely the idea already resembles the Twilight Saga which I didn't like all that much. You might like it and I'll respect that but I can say with confidence that I don't.**

**In Cursed by Shadow I plan to make sure that everything I do has logical stability and while it contains romance there won't be any of that emotionless dependence of Bella Swan or fairytale peaceful endings. Twili in this story are still mortal and have their limits just like any other creature. I promise that there will be a violent final battle, characterizations will stay as true to the game as possible and there will be no sparkling.**

**What I want is for people to give me their opinions as to whether I should write the story or not. I will create a poll on my profile and if I can get a reasonable number of positive responses by the time The Peacekeepers is finished then I will go through with Cursed by Shadow. Please do NOT cast your votes through reviews or PMs as it is very inconvenient and I will not count them.**

**Until next time,**

**EquinoxWolf.**


	4. Chapter 4: Death and Departure

**Hello everybody, I'm back. After five days of no computer and no internet access I was amazed by the number of emails I received from this website. Thank you to my new followers and thank you to The Dragon of Chaos for his/her review. I do bring up the connection between Ganondorf and Demise much later in the story though it does not have much consequence to the overall story. I am not the kind of person to deliberately change a concept in the original piece my work is based off purely for convenience. If I do, I'm either ignorant of my mistake or am taking sheer pleasure out of hitting the original story with a sledgehammer and replacing it with something of pure awesomeness.**

**In regards to my previous author's note I have worked out a few issues and my poll for Cursed by Shadow is running properly on my profile. Please take the time to vote and thank you to those who have already done so.**

**I will warn you that this chapter gets very sad in places so if you are highly emotional, I suggest you grab yourself a tissue. Ladies and gentlemen, here is Chapter 4**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Death and Departure**

_If you are reading this then you know what it is I have done and you may be asking why I did it. Not long ago I believe I made a terrible mistake and I can no longer bear to live with myself for it. I have tried to convince myself that I did the right thing but in my heart I know that in doing so I hurt someone who I cared very deeply about. There is no way for me to make things right, no way for me to make it up to him, no way to tell him that I'm sorry._

_That is why I have decided to take my own life. I know what you must be thinking but I feel that there is no alternative. I have no living relative to take my place as princess so in this final letter I have decided who shall be my successor. I hope that my royal adviser, Eddard, will be able to lead our people better than I ever could._

_Farewell forever, _

_Princess Midna Twilight._

* * *

Royal Adviser Eddard read the message for the tenth time, still not wanting to believe its words. The princess had been uncharacteristically late for the council meeting so he went to her chambers to check if she was alright. She most certainly was not. Eddard found the letter on her desk but the princess was not in her room. Some of the writing was slightly blurred by what appeared to be tears.

As soon as he began the second paragraph Eddard stopped reading and looked out of the open window. He felt nothing but cold emptiness as he stared down on the princess' broken body thirty meters below. He could tell from the blood that there was no possible way that she survived. The royal adviser immediately called the guards for help but there was nothing that could be done save to move her somewhere more respectable.

He wanted to believe that it was murder but Eddard knew deep in his heart that it was impossible. All Twili possessed the ability to levitate even from a young age so deaths caused by falling were extremely rare, unless it was the person's intention to die. Perhaps an assassin somehow suppressed the princess' magic? No, Eddard shook his head. There was no magical inhibitor potent enough to weaken Midna to that degree. The only plausible explanation was the one that he had been given; that Princess Midna had committed suicide.

It was so tragic. He had known that the princess had been suffering from a state of depression but every time he offered to help her she refused. Did this have anything to do with the two strange visitors who were alone with the princess? It was unlikely. When she instructed Eddard to cancel her schedule Midna seemed the happiest she had been since the death of her father. Perhaps he had been wrong if she decided to kill herself. If only he could have done more for her maybe she would still be alive.

But hindsight will not achieve anything. It was the princess' final wish that he take her place on the throne. Most men dreamed of obtaining such power but not Eddard. The idea of sitting on the throne and declaring himself king felt wrong to him. He may have consulted the royal family for the past thirty-seven years but he doubted that he could ever lead his people the way Midna and her father before her had.

There was no arguing with the way things are however. The princess had entrusted her with the fate of the Twili and he did not want to disrespect her memory. Eddard would have to take the throne but first he needed to arrange a proper funeral. That was the least he could do.

* * *

Bells rang low and solemn announcing the passing of the Twilight Princess. Their mournful sound echoed far and wide across the Twilight Realm telling its inhabitants their grave news. '_How long ago was it when those bells rang for Father?_' Midna wondered. It must have been over a year now but time was a vague concept in this world so who could say.

'_And now they ring for me,_'she thought solemnly. The real Princess Midna was still very much alive and well standing on a hill in the distance. The palace looked no larger than a pile of children's blocks from where she stood. She hated to have lied to her own people like this but it was too late to change things now. Unlike when she shattered the Mirror of Twilight however, Midna did not want to go back.

Link put his hand on her shoulder ever so gently. "Are you okay?" he asked. It was a stupid question, it was clear she was not, but she appreciated the concern.

"I'll be fine," she said quietly. She wiped away a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I'm sorry that there was not another way," Callum said from behind her. "Don't feel bad Midna, you are not the first noble to go through this and you likely won't be the last." Midna nodded, not trusting her voice to speak.

Due to her status as princess, Midna was a figure well in the spotlight. As such there was no possible way for her to disappear quietly, like most recruited by the Peacekeepers would, they had no choice but to fake the princess' death. Fortunately this practice was familiar and well-rehearsed to the secret order so they quickly had an exact clone of Midna prepared to take her place. All that remained to be done was for Midna to write her suicide note. Callum advised that she include who she chose to be her successor to avoid the Twilight Realm being torn apart by a power struggle.

On the hilltop, Midna turned to Link and wrapped her arms around him. He did the same, giving her the emotional support she desperately needed. Once before Midna chose her people over her best friend and suffered for it. When given that same choice again she made sure that she did not make the same mistake again.

_'__I guess Father was right about me after all,_'she thought sadly.

* * *

Link, Midna and Callum walked together outside Ordon Village. Midna felt the warm sun on her skin, the gentle breeze through her hair and sniffed the fresh scent of nature. The former Twilight Princess only spent a relatively short time in the world of light but now she realized that she loved it just as much as her own realm. The three stopped when they reached the front of Link's tree house.

"We shouldn't stay for too long," Callum told them. "Link, I'll let you go to the village and say your goodbyes. Take as long as you need to. Midna and I will go inside and start packing for you."

Link thanked him and made his way south to what would the last time he would see his home. He saw some of the villagers hard at work. Jaggle was crouching in the pumpkin patch digging for weeds. The farmer looked up at Link when he heard him approach and welcomed him with a friendly wave.

"There you are Link. You disappeared on us for a while there. When Talo told me what happened the other day and I heard you ran off somewhere I feared the worst. Everybody's worried about you."

Link smiled, trying to hide his guilt for making his neighbors so anxious. "Sorry, something came up. Jaggle, do you think you could help me round everyone up? There's something I want to talk about."

The farmer nodded and put down his tools. Within five minutes the whole village had gathered in front of the mayor's house. Link took a moment to look at the face of each of the villagers who he grew up thinking as his family, the people he was about to leave behind.

"Hi everyone, thanks for coming here. There's something I want to say to all of you..." His chest felt so tight. He took a deep breath before going on. "I know for the past few months I've been... hard to deal with. I want to say I'm sorry. I was angry with myself for a long time and it wasn't fair for me to take it out on any of you. It's just that when I was travelling around Hyrule I met someone special... and then I lost that person in the worst possible way. I blamed myself for it and I didn't know what to do. I know it doesn't excuse my behavior but I want to let you know why I was like that."

All of the villagers moved to show that they forgave him. Uli was the fastest though as she pulled him into a warm, loving hug, the kind a mother gives her child after having a fight. "It's okay Link, it doesn't matter," she said tearfully, "I only wish I had known what was upsetting you sooner. I wish I could have helped you."

When they separated Link wiped the tears from his own eyes. "There's something else. I've thought about this for a while and I've decided to leave Hyrule." Children and adults alike cried out in protest. Link patiently gestured for silence and continued when all were quiet once more.

"I don't want to go but I can't bare to stay here any longer. I need some time by myself to clear my head and maybe make a fresh start somewhere. I'm not sure if I will ever be coming back." This was the story that he had been rehearsing to hide his real reason for leaving. Most of it was true anyway.

Everyone tried to convince Link to stay but he shook his head persistently. He told them his mind was made up. Rusl, who had raised and trained Link throughout the boy's life, accepted his decision somberly and helped the other villagers to do the same. One by one the Hero's friends embraced him and said farewell to him, the children crying when they took their turns. Finally Ilia stood before him but made no movement, she just stood there still as a statue.

"Ilia," Link began, "I'm sorry about what I said before. I know how much you care about Epona and I had no right to snap at you. Can you please forgive me?"

She did not answer. Instead she rushed forward and gave him the tightest hug he had received that day. "I'll miss you," she whispered sadly, "Just promise me one thing okay?"

"Anything," he said, glad that he had made amends with his childhood friend.

"Promise me that someday you'll find a place where you can be happy, and stay safe. I don't want anything else."

"I promise."

* * *

There was still one more person that Link needed to say goodbye to. He walked amongst the trees to where he found the spot he was looking for. There in front of him stood a tall elm tree with a medium-sized round stone resting at its roots. Engraved in the stone was the name 'Amanda'. Link placed a bouquet of freshly picked flowers amongst the twisted tree roots and knelt before the stone.

"Hi Mom, how are you? I've got fantastic news; I found Midna and she came back with me. I finally feel like things are starting to look up for me now. I don't know if you can tell where you are right now, but the world is in danger again and Midna and I have to save it." He placed his hand atop the headstone. "Because of what we have to do this will be the last time I can come to see you. I hope you understand. I love you."

"I'm sure she does."

Link jumped at the voice and turned to see Callum standing right behind him. Link was not a person one could easily sneak up on yet he had not heard the Peacekeeper approach him.

"Who are you talking to?" the man asked.

Link faced the headstone again. "My mother," he said softly

"Mind if I pay my respects?" Link shrugged. Callum stepped closer and sat on his knees next to the boy.

"When I was fourteen she got really sick." Link explained, not sure why. "We managed to find a doctor in Castle Town who was willing to come out here but by that time there was nothing he could do. She died two days later."

"What of your father?"

Link snorted in disdain. "Who cares? The guy left Ordon when I was a baby and never came back."

"Do you know why he left?"

"Not a clue. It doesn't matter anyway. The only acceptable reason I can think of is that he went to Hyrule and was killed on the way by bandits. There's no excuse for leaving your family like that," Link growled.

"I agree with you there," Callum said, "but even though it's inexcusable he may have had his reasons. I am the last person who should pass judgement. When I was recruited by the Order I was forced to leave my own family behind. Tore my heart to do it."

Link stared at him, not entirely sure how to respond. "Yeah but you probably did something really heroic if they wanted you. My father was a farmer, born and raised. There's no way he could have done anything like that."

The Peacekeeper raised an eyebrow. "Really? So what does that make you then? I assume that seeing as you spent most of your life herding goats it's impossible that you could have defeated someone as powerful as Ganondorf." Link chuckled, beaten by the argument.

"Might I say a few words to your mother?" Link gestured his consent.

The Peacekeeper cleared his throat. "Amanda, you raised your son well. He has done so much for the sake of others without any regard for his own desires, even if it hurt him to do so. He will continue to help people in even more ways and you should know that you ought to be proud of him. He is a fine young man and we all have you to thank for it."

Link felt his face burn with embarrassment. It was one thing to receive such praise himself but it was something else for someone to express that praise to his mother. He did not know what to say.

"I think we should go and meet up with Midna again," Callum said to him. "I left her back at your place to collect the items you two worked so hard to acquire."

Link's expression turned anxious. 'She's probably going to be mad when we get there. I locked all that stuff in a chest in my basement and I buried the key. Worse bit is, I can't remember where."

* * *

Thankfully the only thing that suffered Midna's wrath was the said chest, in which she blasted the lock into pieces after becoming frustrated from searching for the missing key. Fortunately none of its contents were harmed. Link switched into his traditional green Hero's clothes and packed a few more keepsakes that his companions overlooked. With everything sorted, Link mounted Epona. Callum climbed up behind him while Midna disappeared into Link's shadow, as was their custom. He relished the inexplicable sensation of the action as with everything that had to do with the former imp.

"Before we head to Skyloft I'd like to make a quick detour," Callum said. "Though the Hero of the Sky outmatched Ghirahim on multiple occasions, half the secret was the Hero's use of the Goddess Sword, or as you know it as the Master Sword."

"So we're going to the Sacred Grove to collect it aren't we?" Link asked without needing an answer.

They stopped Epona at the spring of Faron Woods and dismounted. Midna popped out of hiding when Link's feet touched the ground. "Good thing we can warp there," Midna commented. "There is no way I'm chasing after that bratty little forest kid again."

After being broken down into particles for warping the three of them appeared in the ancient grove. The moss-covered ruins of the Temple of Time sat in silence, seemingly undisturbed by the world. Link remembered his last visit to this place and how fresh his heartache from losing Midna had been at the time. He returned the Master Sword to its resting place eagerly as he wanted nothing more to do with the artifact that painfully reminded him of his adventures with her.

The sword still stood in its housing pedestal, radiating with a divine glow, its silver blade reflecting the sunlight dazzlingly. Link walked up to the pedestal and wrapped his hands around the sword's hilt. With hardly any resistance, he drew the Master Sword out of the stone and raised it towards the sky. He heard Midna mutter something about being overly theatrical.

"Did you know that the Master Sword possesses a spirit by the name of Fi?" Callum asked as though it was a normal conversation topic.

Surprised, Link looked at the sacred weapon in his hand in awe. "I always felt there this presence whenever I held the sword, like someone is guiding me mentally."

"I prefer the method of guiding others with verbal encouragement and a good push in the right direction," Midna grinned impishly.

Link rolled his eyes at her. "You mean with abusive insults and kicking people in the ribs."

"You say tomato," she shrugged.

Callum interrupted the friendly banter. "It is said that Fi guided the Hero of the Sky in his mission much like Midna has done for you, though perhaps the spirit was a fair bit kinder about it." Midna assumed a guise of innocence. "Perhaps you should try summoning Fi," he suggested to Link.

Link considered the suggestion. Could he do it? He never imagined that the Blade of Evil's Bane contained something sentient. Even so he was not exactly sure how to summon this supposed spirit.

"Fi," he called hesitantly. Nothing happened. "Fi," he tried again more firmly, "come to me." That did the trick. The golden gem embedded in the sword's hilt light up with a mystical energy. The light grew and shot out of the sword in an arc.

The light then stopped in mid-air and began to change shape, molding itself into the frame of something feminine until it took solid form. In the place of the light was a girl-like being. Her body was colored with the same blue and purple of the Master Sword's hilt. Her legs were dominated by violet as was half of her torso, with the rest of her body was blue in color. Embedded in her center was a deep blue diamond. She appeared to have no visible arms, either concealed or replaced by what appeared to be some kind of cloak. Her entire face and hair were blue as were her blank, featureless eyes. The figure met Link's astonished stare.

"Greetings Master Link," she spoke in a melodic yet emotionless voice. '_Master?_' Link thought. "The name that was given to me by my creator is Fi. My mission is to assist the chosen Hero of the Goddesses. I have spent many generations in hibernation within the Master Sword providing aid to the Hero. Though I have served you in the recent past it is, as humans say, a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

Link was taken aback by all this. When he first met Midna she forcefully decided that she was his master, but now there was someone who wanted to call _him_ master? Despite himself he grinned at the notion.

Midna was far less amazed though. "So," she addressed the spirit coolly, "if your mission is to serve the Hero then why is this the first time we ever knew you existed?"

If the blue-purple spirit felt anything regarding the question or Midna's tone she did not show it. "My mission does not require me to directly communicate with my masters, merely to provide them with the means to fulfill their own duties. I only awaken from my hibernation when called upon by my master, as I have been now." The pure rationality of the explanation and the lack of emotion behind it annoyed the Twili even further.

Callum cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "If we are done here I believe we should get going again." Fi's body reverted back into light and she returned to the gem in the sword. As the three gathered close to each other to leave Link could not resist having a crack at Midna.

"So, guess who has his own servant now?" he taunted.

She responded by grabbing onto his ear and pulling on it painfully. "So what? I never did say you were no longer my slave so by order of hierarchy that makes her my servant as well." He could not argue with that logic, not when Midna was already exerting her authority over him like that. After all this time Midna had not changed a bit.

* * *

**So that concludes another chapter. To be honest, I got emotional when I wrote that last part with Link and Ilia, and I still feel warm in the eyes each time I read it. I don't know how many of you noticed but I had originally misspelled Ilia's name as Ilea. Thank you to JulietheGreat for bringing this to my attention, I have gone back to the previous chapters and made the necessary corrections. Did you know that ilea is the plural for ileum which is the lowest part of the small intestine? I guess you could say that Ilia had a gut's full of Link for mistreating Epona before.**

**Until the next chapter,**

**EquinoxWolf**


	5. Chapter 5: Joining the Order

**Hey everyone. Apparently Fi showing up in the last chapter sparked some interest in a few people which is good. I'm going to be updating regularly around the weekend from now on because of how my personal life is getting a bit busy. I'm back to studying so it takes up a fair amount of my spare time. This however will not affect updates to this story so you can relax. I'll talk about that a bit more later but I know you want to get on to reading (half of you probably aren't reading this anyway). So here it is, Chapter 5.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Joining the Order**

"Here we are," Callum announced, but the statement left the Hero somewhat confused. They had been riding for a good couple of hours now and they had only just arrived at a ranch in the middle of nowhere.

"I thought we were heading to Skyloft," Link said. "What could possibly be here that will get us there?" Link had been unconscious on his first visit to the floating Peacekeeper headquarters and the small company had warped away from the base's Mirror chamber to Faron Woods before returning to Ordon Village. This left the details on how to travel to Skyloft unknown to the Hero.

Callum dismounted before he answered, Link followed suit and Midna emerged from his shadow once more. "Headquarters is above the clouds so this is as far as your horse can go. This ranch here belongs to the Peacekeepers, where we keep our land-based animals. Epona will be staying here when you don't have need of her."

His word's tugged Link's heart a little. "You mean we have to leave her behind?" Link's hand rose unconsciously to the mare's flank. Ever since Epona was stolen by monsters shortly before Link had met Midna, he was reluctant to abandon his mother's horse for any extended period of time. Goddesses knew what those things did to her as the next time her master saw her Epona had been utterly distressed.

The Peacekeeper seemed to understand his concern. "Not indefinitely, there will be times where you'll need her for missions. It saves us a fair amount of money if our newer agents own their own horses. Don't fret Link, the staff here will take good care of her. Have a look around, the place has the best facilities available and is far from any form of danger. Epona will be safe here."

Link scanned the vast green plain before him. He could see various breeds of horses, donkeys and other similar looking creatures. There were even some of those giant boars that he had seen bulblins ride. They all seemed quite content. He escorted Epona to a two-story farmhouse where they were greeted by the ranch's owners. Link was still hesitant about leaving his horse so the owners gave him a guided tour of the property. They seemed nice enough and they told Link that he was free to visit anytime he wanted.

Satisfied that his horse will be taken care of properly, Link said goodbye to Epona, stroking her neck and feeding her a few treats. The mare seemed to understand what was going on as she nuzzled her master affectionately, as she always did when he went off on his own for a long time.

Callum pulled out his scrying mirror and appeared to be conversing with the image within it. Link raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "I thought you said that you couldn't talk to people with that thing."

The Peacekeeper replaced the mirror into his pocket and turned to the Hero. "No, I said that to do so you needed another scrying mirror, which Midna did not possess. You only assumed my mirror couldn't be used for communication." He gave Link a cryptic smirk he had seen on his Twili companion numerous times before. "I've contacted headquarters and they will be sending us transport for the rest our journey. It should be here soon."

Confused, Midna looked at Link. "What was that about mirrors?" Link realized that he had neglected to tell Midna about the enchanted devices that the Peacekeepers used to view people and places of interest. Knowing her tendency to react badly to such things, he was not ready to explain it to her in front of the other people in their company.

"I'll tell you later," was all he said despite her annoyance.

Ten minutes passed before the Hero could hear the flapping of the wings of something big coming. His eyes darted around the sky, searching for the source of the sound, when he spotted three shapes approaching the ranch at alarming speed. As they grew closer, Link realized that they were large birds. Two of them were grey in color and carried people on their backs while the third one was riderless with rusty orange feathers. Everyone on the ground hastily made room as the flock landed with loud screeches.

Link and Midna stared at the creatures in awe. "What are those things?" Link asked. Each bird stood as tall as a large Goron. The orange one waddled up to Callum and pushed him playfully with its huge bill.

"These are called loftwings," Callum explained as he petted the animal's crest. The loftwing closed its eyes in content. "They'll take us the rest of the way back to Skyloft."

Link and Midna climbed up each behind the rider of one of the loftwings, uncertain if the giant birds could carry the extra weight. Callum mounted the russet loftwing and gave some sort of signal Link could not see before it screeched again and jumped into the air. The other birds did the same and both Link and Midna screamed at the sudden ascent. "New recruits," Link's pilot chuckled, his words barely audible over the rushing wind.

It took a while to adjust but Link started to enjoy the ride, the speed of the birds and the force of the wind beating on his body felt exhilarating. He glanced over to Midna to see her laughing. She met his eye and grinned, causing Link to do the same. He had not had this much fun in such a long time.

* * *

"This place is amazing!" Midna exclaimed as she cast her eyes around the gardens and buildings of Skyloft. The Twili had only seen one room in the place so this was her first true glimpse at the suspended island. She had been to the sky before with Link but Skyloft was so much more vibrant and modern-looking than the ancient Oocca city, despite it being arguably older.

Link smiled, happy that she was able to see this wonder of the world as well. Callum escorted them down a path that was new to the Hero. Along the way they past a group of Twili women engaged in animated conversation. Midna felt relieved that she would still be able to socialize with others of her kind but curiosity plagued her mind.

"Those Twili aren't shadows," she commented. "How are they able to survive in the light?"

After generations in the world of shadow the Twili had grown intolerant to even small quantities of light, which would burn them horribly within seconds. For the first half of her previous adventure with Link, Midna had to stay hidden safely in his shadow whenever they were outside of the Twilight, until that night Zant threw her into the light and nearly killing her.

"We use the same technique that Princess Zelda used to save your life," Callum explained. "Although usually the Twili are at full health at the time so the people giving them the power to survive here don't lose so much of their own life force."

Midna's mind flashed back to that moment in time where Zelda gave up all she had to the dying Twili. Midna never wanted the gift but the other princess's display of selflessness was what gave the imp the ability to walk freely in this world, and changed her into the person she was today.

They entered a building and found themselves in what looked like the reception room of a small business. The front desk was made of quality wood and the velvet seats along the wall looked very comfortable. The Peacekeepers must have a high budget or something Link thought. The creature sitting behind the desk looked like some kind of burly mole-person, its dirty blonde hair covering its eyes and long black claws extending from its fingertips. The mole man gazed up at Callum from its work then to the other two with him.

"Hello Coper," Callum greeted, "I've brought in our new agents-in-training."

The mole named Coper glanced at the two strangers then began digging through a pile of papers. "Ah yes, the Hero of Light and the Twilight Princess, got their files just this morning. How did it all go?"

"According to plan; Link has left Hyrule indefinitely and Midna is deceased, only officially of course," the bearded man chuckled some.

Coper found what he was looking for and handed the documents to his colleague, if that was what their relationship was. "Good. If there's anything I truly hate it's when an extraction gets botched up, giving me more paperwork to do." Without responding, Callum opened each file to a particular page and handed one to the new recruits.

"What are these for?" Midna asked as she flicked through the previous pages, keeping her thumb on the one the document was opened to as to not lose it.

Link did the same and found that there were records of his entire life; his date of birth, his home village, a personality profile, even his accomplishments since he first became the Hero of Light, a title he did not usually like to be referred to by. Hell, Hero was a bit much for him as well but people insisted on calling him that.

"These are your personal records. We keep tabs on everyone we take an interest in. We just need you to sign a form saying that you accept becoming a Peacekeeper agent for life and agree to our rules. After that you are officially members of the Order."

The Hero and the princess took a pen from the desk and looked at each other for a moment, an unspoken exchange to be sure that they were both ready for the commitment they were about to make. Together they scribbled their signatures on the document. A sense of finality filled the air.

Callum gave them a hearty smile. "Link and Midna welcome to the Peacekeepers."

* * *

"Before we go sending you into the field we will need to put you through some basic training," Callum said. They were outside now, standing next to a fountain with a statue resembling a great fairy. The two new agents opened the mouths to protest but he stopped them.

"It has been a while since either of you have seen any action so you will both need to get back into proper shape. What's more, though it is primarily what complemented you two before, you each lack each other's special skills which we require all agents to master.

"As the clock is against us we don't have time for you to go through standard training so I'm going to write each of you a quick custom curriculum. Link, your swordplay has gotten sloppy so you'll need some tuning up. I'll arrange for you to start learning how to use magic as well considering who you'll be fighting in the future.

"Midna, I'm going to get you learning to use a sword too. Also, you're skills at sorcery are exceptional but there are many different forms other than shadow magic that you can learn so I'll set up some advanced tutoring for you.

"I will go and arrange your training with your instructors. In the meantime I'll have someone give you a tour of the base." Callum took a look around before he stopped and whistled loudly. "Groose! Come over here!"

Answering the call was a rather big, muscular human wearing a blue shirt with an extravagant greenish-yellow collar. He appeared to be the same age as Link and Midna. He had deep red hair that he wore in an absurd pompadour and his yellow eyes showed a lot of confidence. Strapped to his back was a large cannon-like device, similar to what Link remembered seeing Auru from the resistance use during the retaking of Hyrule Caslte. On Groose's hip was a short sword sheathed in a black scabbard.

"Hey chief," he greeted, "What'cha need me for?" He looked over the two strangers, he was disinterested in the shorter boy in green but the slender Twili girl made him blush with a dopey expression.

"Groose, these are our new recruits Link, the Hero of Light, and Midna, the former princess of the Twilight Realm. I need to go organize their training so I would like you to show them around." Groose gave a grinning salute. When Callum bade them goodbye and left them, the red-haired boy then turned to address Midna.

"Hey there, I'm Groose. I'm sort of one of the top agents here so if you need any help with anything just give me a call," he boasted. "Well the big man Callum said to show you around so how about I take you on a private tour?" He offered his hand to her in a courting manner that made Link's blood boil.

Midna could see what he was trying at and was skeptical about his 'best agent' claim. She raised one finger and gave it a flick. In an instant, Groose's arms were bent back painfully behind him, causing him to lean away from her. Midna walked up and rose to full height over him, which intimidated the Hero a little even though none of it was happening to him.

"Listen here pal," she said sternly, "you might as well get any funny ideas out of that head of yours right now. This girl is taken." She released Groose who proceeded to massage his strained muscles. He did not take his eyes of the scary Twili woman.

"Yeah," he replied timidly, "Got it. Sorry." He looked at Link for the first time with any meaning who gave him a sympathetic shrug. "Ummm," Groose continued, "let's... let's go then shall we?"

As they started walking Link turned to Midna. "So... you have a boyfriend then?" he asked disheartened, he looked away. "That's... that's nice." The question that filled his head was how she could have that kind of relationship with someone if she was supposed to be dead to the world.

Midna shook her head at him in disbelief then brought her hand to her face, covering her eyes. "Goddesses you are thick! Did you really think that I gave up my throne, faked my own death, traveled across dimensions and joined a secret organisation with you, which I can never leave now, because I thought we were just friends?" she asked incredulously. "Nothing ever changes with you Link."

It took him a few seconds to process what she had said. "So... you mean that... when you said you were... you meant that..." he trailed off, unable to voice his thoughts.

Midna rolled her eyes and sighed, then leaned in close to kiss him. Link's brain turned to mush as he went to press deeper onto her lips but she pulled away. "That's all you're getting for now for being such an idiot," she said sternly. She smiled though as she took his hand and followed Groose, who was wisely pretending not to notice the exchange.

* * *

Skyloft was truly a place of wonder. It was plain that the Peacekeeper base had originally been a floating block of earth and over the centuries, man-made structures similar to those that kept the Oocca city afloat had been built to accommodate for population growth. In one part of the natural area was a small lake filled by a waterfall. Where the water was coming from when the island was high above the clouds baffled Link. His guide was unable to give him an answer when he asked.

Groose showed them the various facilities that were available. There was the training center for honing your skills, the scrap shop where you could repair weapons and armor, the dining hall with a twenty-four hour kitchen as well as a number of places with recreational purposes. The most significant building had to be the mission control building where the Peacekeepers' operations were led and monitored.

During the tour the group encountered what appeared to be some mechanical being. It was small, cream in color with a red face and mismatched eyes. On its head was a peculiar black ornament with a large propeller that kept the machine airborne. Its disproportionately large hands were held away from its main body by blue arcs of electricity. It was carrying a heavy box of scrap metal. It took one look at Link and dropped its cargo.

"Hey, you look like Mister Shortpants, BZZRT!" Midna burst into laughter, already liking the strange thing while Link was ready to smash it to pieces. "And you have Mistress Fi's sword with you, zzzzt!"

As if stirred by the mention of her name the spirit of the Master Sword emerged with the same divine light as before. The mechanical thing bounced around in excitement.

"Mistress Fi!" it exclaimed, "It's been ages since I last saw you, ZRRPT-FOOOSH!"

The blue-purple spirit faced the machine, only the slightest hint of a smile appearing on her lips. "Greetings Scrapper, yes it has been exactly three-hundred-and-seventeen years, two months, three weeks and five days since our previous encounter."

Awkward silence fell over the group. "Uhhh," Scrapper said hesitantly, "wow. Didn't realize it had been _that_ long, dzzt."

Groose was the one to break the quiet. "This robot here is Scrapper," he explained to Link and Midna. "He's ancient as. Apparently he was operating since long before the Order was founded by the Hero of the Sky and one of my ancestors."

Link straightened up in surprise. "The Hero of the Sky started the Peacekeepers?"

The other boy nodded in confirmation. "Sure did, along with my great-great-how-ever-many-other-greats grandfather, old man Groose. Have you ever heard of the story of the battle between Hylia and Demise?"

Both of the new agents nodded. "Callum told us the gist of it," Link replied. "The fact that Ghirahim and Brandon are trying to resurrect Demise is the whole reason Midna and I are here. Callum said that I'm the only one who can stop them."

"So that's it, huh? Well according to the Order's history, my ancestor and the Hero of the Sky worked together to defeat Demise. Old Groose built an awesome bomb catapult to knock that monster back into its prison each time it broke out, but it was the Hero who put Demise down for good.

"After that, the spirit maiden possessing Hylia's soul told them to start the Peacekeepers to watch over the new world. Since then the Order has been growing and went 'underground' when we started working in espionage." Groose chuckled at the irony of the last sentence.

"So your family's been here since the beginning then?" Midna asked wide-eyed.

Groose smiled proudly. "Yep. It kinda makes us nobility around Skyloft. Hadn't had a generation go by when at least one of the family wasn't sitting on the council."

The more ancient members of the group were engaged in their own conversation, talking about old times and not paying any attention to the mortals. They appeared to be finished when Fi returned to the Master Sword and Scrapper picked up his abandoned cargo and flew away.

Suddenly a light came on in Groose's head. "Hey I just thought of something. Let's go over to the rookery. Every Peacekeeper has a loftwing partner and I reckon it's time you guys met yours."

* * *

Their senior agent had taken them to the top of a very tall stone tower. On every landing there were lots of giant nests supposedly for the loftwings. Groose had told them that since Skyloft's origins humans have always been bonded to a loftwing that appeared before them. The same tradition still held true with those that were not human. They even bonded with Gorons, which raised a lot of interest as those birds were considerably larger than the normal. No one had seen loftwings of such size before the Gorons came to Skyloft so many wondered if the goddesses had created them to carry the much heavier beings.

The wind tore brutally at the companions' clothes causing them to have to brace themselves against it. "So what's supposed to happen now?" Link shouted over the roaring gale.

Groose did not seem as bothered by the blustery weather as he smiled confidently back at the Hero. "Just sit tight and watch," he bellowed in return.

Hardly a minute passed when the sounds of screeching enter the threshold of Link's hearing. He turned to see the source and spotted the two now-familiar shapes of approaching loftwings. Despite the force of the wind the birds landed gracefully onto the tower roof.

The one standing before Midna was the color of obsidian. It towered over the Twili and stared her down with a regal aura, if it was possible for a bird to possess such a trait. Midna held herself high, looking into the animal's eyes firmly. Perhaps it was a test of character as the black loftwing eventually bowed its head to her. With a smile she stroked her new friend's bill, the loftwing clearly enjoying the contact.

Link grinned as he witnessed the exchange, but then a shrill scream made Link turn to face the other loftwing in front of him. It stood twice as tall as him, its feathers were a stunning crimson. He gazed into its big eyes and felt a strange sense of familiarity, as though he had known the creature all of his life, and he could somehow tell that the bird felt the same way as well. Without being aware it, Link climbed onto the loftwing's back. Instantly the bird spread its wings and leaped upwards, taking to the skies.

Adrenaline rushed through Link's veins, his face beaming with excitement. It was as though he had been born to fly as his loftwing turned at the slightest touch, as though the two possessed a psychic connection. Link removed his arms from the bird's neck and spread them out sideways. He hollered loud and enthusiastically, letting himself be taken in by the experience.

Down on the tower roof Midna and Groose watched the scene absolutely amazed. "I've never seen anyone bond with their loftwing as quickly as that before," Groose laughed.

Midna could not suppress her grin. "He's a natural. Little show-off."

"How about we go join him?" Groose proposed. He placed two fingers to his lips and whistled loudly. Then to Midna's horror he started sprinting towards the edge of the tower and jumped. Her heart leaped into her mouth before she saw him again flying upwards on a purple bird. Relieved she turned to her own animal, whose gaze almost seemed to be granting its approval. With a smile Midna mounted the creature and took off in pursuit of the others.

Flying was not a new experience to the former princess but she had to admit it was far more comfortable sitting on soft feathers than the leathery back of a monster. It was not long before she caught up with the boys. The rush of flying high in the sky, the thrill of experiencing something new, this was the feeling of adventure that Midna had missed terribly.

* * *

They had flown for hours, racing each other and various other flyers who they met. They only landed when the sun began to set as Groose told them it was too dangerous to fly at night. Callum met them after they touched ground and told them he had arranged for Link and Midna to begin training in the morning.

After saying goodbye to Groose, Callum then led the two recruits to the rooms that had been provided for them to live in. The rooms were relatively spacious and loosely resembled Link's old house in terms of layout. There was a small kitchen in each room adjoining a compact living area that doubled smartly as the bedroom. There was also a bathroom already stocked with the essentials like soap and towels. Link's room was just a few doors down the hall from Midna's which both of them were pleased with.

Callum bade them goodnight and left them be as they explored their new homes. The kitchen cupboards were stocked with food so rather than go to the dining hall, they threw together a simple stew and ate on Link's new couch, which felt divine to sit on. The whole time they ate they recounted the day's events and the wonders they saw. By the time they exhausted themselves from talking it was getting late.

Link gave a huge yawn as he stood up. "Might as well hit the hay," he said tiredly. "I reckon we're going to be doing a lot of hard work tomorrow." He smiled at her fondly. "Goodnight Midna."

Midna did not move from the couch. "Actually Link, I was thinking maybe I could stay here tonight," she said sheepishly. "I mean if that's okay with you, that is."

His smile widened as Link leaned in to kiss her. This time it was sweet and long, his fingers running through her silky hair. "Of course you can," he said when they broke apart. Together they snuggled into Link's bed where they held each other in their arms and stared into each other's eyes.

"Link," Midna finally said. "I think we did the right thing here. Even though we had to give up so much I think it was all worth it. It took me having to lose you to realize this but... this is exactly where I want to be; with you. I love you Link."

He smiled and lifted a hand to gently push as stray hair away from her face. "I love you too Midna."

* * *

**More Skyward Sword characters. :D**

**Yeah so I'm back to working hard now with university. Got so much to do this semester that my fan fiction has to take a backseat for a while. This doesn't affect this story as it's already finished (there's still more chapters for you to read, mind you) but my other writing projects have to be put on hold. **

**I guess the great thing about my writing style is that my personal life has almost no effect on my work on this site. I just find a bit of time to post a chapter and that's all, no problem with writer's block, and that's the way I think it should be. What I want to do is encourage other authors on this site is to do the same as it is kind of annoying when stories go without being updated for months, we've all been there. Sure you go unappreciated while you work but that's what makes receiving the reviews when you publish so great. I've been writing this whole story for four months in secret and the reviews I get from you guys makes it all worthwhile.**

**Until I next update,**

**EquinoxWolf**


	6. Chapter 6: Basic Training

**Hey all. I've had a look at the results for my CbS poll. I've decided that if I get 7 yeses then I will consider writing the story, if I get 10 I will definitely write it, and if I get more than 13 then I will suspend all other fanfic projects to work on Cursed by Shadow, so please vote. You will not be disappointed if you do.**

**On another matter, I just found out about the new feature in the upcoming Pokemon X and Y - MegaEvolutions. Usually I am an avid Pokemon fan but this idea makes me a little nervous and could potentially derail me. I hope I was not too hasty to have already pre-ordered X. This has nothing to do with this story, I just wanted to share.**

**Anyway, let's move on the Chapter 6.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Basic Training**

The sunlight flooded through the window on to the sleeping Hero's face, causing him to stir. Mind still groggy, he felt something warm resting against him. Link blinked the sleep out of his eyes and saw a slender black arm draped over his torso. Following the limb, his gaze fell upon Midna, still fast asleep. A tender smile formed on Link's lips as he recalled the events of the previous day.

He knew he should let her sleep but he could not resist kissing her lightly on the forehead. Midna moaned drowsily at the touch and her eyelids fluttered open. She smiled when she recognized him and cupped his cheek with her hand.

"Morning," Link greeted lovingly.

She pecked him on the lips. "Morning," she replied.

Realizing that he had not washed in days, Link went to take a bath after getting out of bed. As he dried himself off afterwards he walked into the main room to find Midna wearing a new outfit. In exchange of her regal cloak and skirt, she now wore a long-sleeved shirt and leggings of the same black color. Her monochromatic feet were now covered by dark, knee-high boots.

"Where'd you get the new clothes?" he asked.

Midna held up a note and handed it to him. "I found this pushed under the door." As Link read the letter he was unaware of Midna eyeing his perfectly toned body as he only had a towel wrapped around his waist to cover him.

_Dear Link and Midna, _the note read,

_I predicted that the two of you would have spent the night together so I have taken the liberty of placing some new clothes for Midna in the dresser. These will be more suitable for daily work than her old garments. At 800 hours both of you are to meet me at the training center. Bring all of your weapons with you. Do not be late._

_Callum_

"It's weird," Midna commented, "it's almost like that guy is always two steps ahead of us. Do you think he used that mirror of his to spy on us?"

Link shook his head. "No. It doesn't explain how those clothes got in here. No one's come in since last night so he must have put them in the dresser before we got here. That's even creepier though."

Within half an hour the couple finished preparing for the day's trials and made their way to the training center as instructed. The building's interior looked like a colosseum with white stone pillars, sparring pits in the center of the main floor and a running track circling the perimeter of the arena. Numerous Peacekeepers were all hard at work at the various stations. The intensity of their training gave the facility an elitist quality. The two recruits watched in awe at the display.

With a welcoming shout Callum beckoned them over from the far side of the arena. With the bearded Peacekeeper stood a dark-skinned Gerudo woman and a face that was familiar to Link. "Jarret," Link greeted cheerfully. The old Twili's lined face scrunched up as he smiled and shook the Hero's hand merrily.

"Good to see you two could make it," Callum chimed. "Midna, I'd like you to meet Jarret. He will be your magic instructor for the both of you. I'd also like to introduce you to Sarafi," he gestured to the Gerudo, "who will be mentoring you in swordplay." The Gerudo only gave a curt nod in greeting.

Callum and the instructors led Link and Midna through a side door into a smaller room. The floor was marked by a wide circle, indicating that it was another sparring ring. Various posters inscribed with indecipherable symbols hung along every wall.

"First off we will test you in the skills you already possess," Sarafi spoke flatly for the first time. "We will then be able to gauge how much practice you will require to perfect them. Link, you and I shall spar first."

The Hero and the Gerudo entered the ring and stood at opposite ends. Link drew the Master sword and equipped his shield then took a wide fighting stance. Sarafi unsheathed a lethal looking scimitar and stood sideways, sword arm first.

"Begin," Callum declared, acting as the referee.

The two opponents waited, circling each other, examining the other's stance for weaknesses. The Gerudo nodded approvingly then made the first attack with an overhead cut. Link parried then thrust his shield forward. Sarafi's attack was merely a test so she had not put any of her weight into the swing, thus she maintained her balance after the parry. When the shield came for her, she deftly took a step back to avoid it.

Link moved in to unleash a barrage of slashes, each one being blocked expertly by his opponent. The Gerudo waited for an opportunity before swinging sideways at his torso. Link only barely had time to raise his shield to defend himself. He shoved the offending blade back along with its owner as he attempted to make some breathing room.

Deciding that standard attacks were not going to be effective, Link ducked sideways into a roll to execute a Back Slice, one of the hidden skills taught to him by the Hero's Shade. The manoeuvre felt sluggish and awkward as Link realized just how out of shape he was. Sarafi had plenty of time to turn around where she kicked him hard in the face as he made to stand up.

The blow felt like getting hit by a cudgel, sending the Hero flying back a little. Through the fog of multicolored spots that filled his vision Link saw his opponent coming for him with a downward thrust. He was too slow to roll out of the way as the threatening sword tip hovered inches above his heart. After a moment Sarafi stepped back and sheathed her weapon, looking down at Link without emotion.

"Was that the best you could do?" she criticized. "I fear for our survival if you are our only hope of defeating the Demon Lord. Though your technique and reflexes are more than admirable, you are far too slow with your attacks."

Link picked himself off of the ground panting from the duel, proving further just how much his fighting ability has diminished. Midna approached him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, trying to mask the shock that her Hero had been beaten so easily.

Link grimaced as he rubbed his aching chin. "Goddesses that hurt. Are you wearing leg armor under your clothes?"

The Gerudo smirked as she pulled up her right trouser leg, revealing a wooden prosthetic that served as the limb that had kicked him. Link and Midna stared at the artificial shin in complete shock.

Jarret drew their attention as he entered the ring and spoke. "You did well Link despite the fact that you lost. Now it's my turn to test Midna."

The warriors moved out of the ring for the next match. With a few claps from Callum, the air hummed with the apparition of a yellow wall of light around the ring's circumference. Link tapped the barrier with the point of his sword to find that it was solid. He doubted that Midna was by any means trapped so was this perhaps normal for a magical duel? The two Twili took their own unique stances just as had the previous combatants.

Callum called again for the match to start but unlike before, Midna and Jarret sent attacks at each other immediately. Midna charged several small orbs of blue shadow magic and threw them at her opponent. Jarret countered by casting his arm in a sweeping motion. The orbs slowed to a standstill before hurtling back at their creator, as if blown back by a powerful wind. Midna quickly defended herself by erecting a spherical barrier lined with electric blue Twili runes. The orbs connected with the shield and exploded loudly into nothing.

Jarret wasted no time as he conjured a jet of flames from his palms. The tongues of fire flowed around Midna's barrier. She held the protective spell but the strain on her face indicated that she was having a hard time of it. Midna then span on the spot and disappeared, then reappeared behind the elderly Twili. Jarret expected this as he raised his own protective shield to intercept the black lighting Midna shot at him.

The duel continued in this fashion, one would attack while the other defended or countered, neither one gaining the advantage. Jarret used a variety of attacks of various elements; icy wind, fireballs, lightning and more, while Midna tried every trick and spell she knew. It was fortunate the ring was sealed off by the wall of light as spells hit it with a significant amount of force. Finally Callum called for them to stop, after which the light barrier vanished. Both magicians were visibly tired and panting heavily.

"Very impressive my dear," Jarret complimented his opponent. "There is much room for improvement but your skills are absolutely remarkable. Perhaps in my younger days I would have won that," he chuckled. Midna smiled proudly and thanked him.

"Now that we have established your limits it's time for us to begin your training," Sarafi said. "For today you will be taught separately. Jarret will teach Link how to utilize magic while Midna will stay here with me as I teach her to use the sword."

"But I don't even have a sword," Midna objected. It was a pathetic excuse and she knew it.

"You can use my old one," Link offered. "Since I've been using the Master Sword, I haven't found another use for it so you might as well take it."

Midna crossed her arms and pretended to be offended. "Oh so now I'm a charity for your old junk, is that it?"

Realizing how his words sounded, Link's face turned red with embarrassment. He scratched the back of his head. "Uh, what I meant was... seeing as you don't have your own sword, how about you take the one we got from Ordon? A gift for the most beautiful woman in the entire world."

The older Peacekeepers snickered at the show, causing Link to grow even redder. Midna smiled wickedly as she summoned the Ordon sword from wherever she deposited all of Link's equipment.

"That's better. Thank you for the lovely present, it was very sweet of you," she said as she tapped him with the flat side of the sheathed blade.

* * *

Jarret escorted Link to another room that looked similar to the previous. As they entered the ring, Link felt very nervous for what he was about to learn. He had never used magic before save for the ancient rod that housed the power to animate statues. After witnessing the harsh duel between Midna and his instructor, Link was anxious about how he could possibly reach their level. Jarret stood before Link on the opposite side of the sparring ring and faced him.

"I understand that you have never attempted this sort of thing before so I will explain this as simply as I can. Magic is the art of thinking and thus casting spells is a mental activity just as swinging a sword is a physical effort. In order to successfully cast a spell you must concentrate and never let yourself be distracted until the spell is complete."

The aged Twili spent a good hour teaching Link about how the universe was filled with flowing energy that was just waiting to be harnessed. He taught the Hero how to hone his mind to sense this energy and how to wield it. Next they performed mental exercises where Link had to recite a relatively complex phrase as his mentor attempted to break his focus, a feat that proved exceptionally difficult. The point of the exercise was to build up the Hero's concentration. When the Twili was satisfied with Link's capability, they moved on to actually casting a spell where Jarret pointed towards a wooden target on a post by the wall.

"I want you to imagine a great amount of energy gathering in the palm of your hand," he instructed. "Let the power build and grow then speak the incantation and send it forward once you are ready."

Link nodded and took the magician's stance he had been taught; legs together and hands raised slightly in front of him. He focused on feeling the energy around him and willed it to assemble into his open palm. His skin tingled from the charge of the energy as it intensified. Once he felt it was enough he pulled his left arm back and shouted.

"_Thunder Strike_!" Link thrust his hand forward with all his might and released the pent up power. His heart flew as he saw bright arcs of electricity burst out of his hand, until disaster struck.

Instead of shooting forward, energy mass suddenly exploded in Link's face, sending the Hero flying backwards from the force of it with a scream. Link lay on the floor dazed and did not register Jarret bending over him, asking if he was okay. His hand stung terribly and he swore he could smell smoke. Within a minute the Hero's senses returned and he sat up, rubbing his burnt palm. The old Twili took his uninjured hand so he could help his student get back to his feet.

"Haha! Not a bad start if you ask me. Half of people never make it that far on their first attempt. They often just stand there looking like fools without achieving any visible results." Jarret gave Link a hearty pat on the shoulder then looked at him seriously. "You let your concentration slip at the last second. That is why the spell backfired like that. You need to maintain control at all times otherwise you are going to hurt yourself."

He gave Link a few minutes to recover before trying again. The second time Link made sure to keep his focus as he released the spell. This time the energy rocketed forward in a crackling stream of light. It hit the target head on, causing the wood to shatter into smoldering fragments. The Twili slapped Link on the back enthusiastically as he praised him.

Suddenly a thought crossed Link's mind. "Jarret?" The Twili looked at him. "You say I have to say some words to cast a spell right?" Jarret nodded. "But if that's true then how come I've never heard you or Midna say anything when you were fighting earlier?"

The old Twili smiled at him. "You my boy have just realized a very important aspect of sorcery. You see, the incantation is not actually essential for one to use magic. As I said before, it is the art of thinking and so everything that matters is purely mental."

Link's brow furrowed. "Then why do I need to say 'Thunder Strike' when I want to blast something with a bolt of lightning?"

"It is because novices like you don't have the necessary experience to do without the incantation. The mind is a chaotic thing and can easily shift from one thought to another without the proper focus. As you have learned from your first attempt, the slightest loss of control can be ruinous.

"The incantation allows your mind to snap into the correct state needed for you to cast the specific spell you wish to use. Experienced masters such as Midna and I have spent years training our minds so that we can utilize our abilities without the need of vocal aid."

"Why would you want to cast spells without using words if it takes so long to be able to do it?" Link asked.

"Another good question," Jarred smiled. "If there was a duel between magicians just as you witnessed earlier, imagine if both duelists shouted out their every attack. The opponent would always know what was coming and they would be able to appropriately counter it. If there is no incantation used then it gives you the element of surprise, which as you know may mean the difference between life and death."

"It all sounds like a lot of hard work if you ask me." Link said discouraged.

Jarret gripped the young man's shoulder reassuringly. "It's not as difficult as you believe. The more times you use a particular spell, the more familiar you become with it so it becomes easier to use that spell without its incantation. But enough about that, let's see you have another go at Thunder Strike."

After Link pulled off more successful casts they moved on to other spells. Jarret taught him how to conjure fire that served as an offensive and defensive technique. He taught the Hero of Light how to raise a magical barrier similar to how Midna had earlier. He also taught Link how to warp around the room on his own and how to incorporate other attacks as he did so. Each one took Link several attempts to get the hang of and his teacher was clearly pleased with his progress.

* * *

Meanwhile Midna was receiving quite the lesson herself. She was dripping with sweat from the endless practice bouts she and her trainer fought. The former princess had expected that the work was going to be hard but she never imagined just how demanding it would truly be. The Ordon sword soon felt heavy even with two hands and it took great effort to keep up with the Gerudo's attacks, though it was obvious her opponent was holding back... a lot. How Link was able to lift the goddesses-damned weapon with one hand and fight for hours without tiring was beyond her.

Sparring was not the only way she learned though. Midna had to learn the right way to place her hands, how to rotate her wrist as the blade slid out of the sheath, as well as the motions of her arms that were needed to get her sword into a ready position quickly. Who knew that drawing a sword correctly was so complex? The first hour of training was nothing but drawing drills, some followed up by various blocks and cuts from different positions. It looked simple on paper yet Midna made frequent mistakes and her muscles were growing sore from the hard work.

Every now and then Sarafi would show Midna the correct way to grip the sword's handle, instruct her how to execute a certain move correctly or teach her some footwork that would allow her to evade incoming attacks and get to an advantageous position. Midna never thought there was more to swordplay than just whacking something with the sharp side of the blade. Next time she saw Link she would be sure to give him more credit for all the hordes of monsters he wiped out all by himself.

Soon they were in for another match. Midna swung one attack after another from all directions, never putting her full weight behind them as instructed. Each one was blocked and parried expertly by her teacher. Then Sarafi finally switched to offence, forcing Midna to perform the defensive techniques she had recently learned. She attempted a counter strike at the Gerudo's exposed side after stepping in to evade a thrust, but the tanned desert woman was quick enough to turn and defend herself.

After a flicker of frustration, Midna was struck with inspiration. She stepped forward to launch an attack. Before the opposing swords made impact the Twili disappeared in a scattering swarm of black twilight particles. She reappeared half a second later behind Sarafi, but when she swung her sword the blade struck a hexagonal blue barrier.

The vibrations of the shock traveled down the steel to Midna's arms, causing her whole body to quake from the impact. Before she could recover, Midna had the edge of Sarafi's scimitar resting against her throat. Midna expected anger in her teacher's eyes for using such a dirty trick but to her surprise there was pride instead.

"Excellent," Sarafi praised. "Combining magical abilities and sword techniques is a very useful strategy. It's impressive that you taught yourself this at such an early stage of your training." The blade retreated back from Midna's neck. "But I am still far better," the Gerudo added.

Midna bent over, out of breath. "You and Link make this look so easy," she panted.

Sarafi rested on the pommel of her sword and smiled kindly. "That is only because we have been practicing for years. True mastery of the sword takes time and requires diligent daily exercise. Of course, that sword you're holding is clearly too heavy for you. I would suggest switching to something lighter like a rapier."

Midna nodded tiredly and smiled at her mentor's encouragement. "Sounds like an idea. You know, the only thing that makes me feel better is that Link is probably blowing himself up right now."

Midna giggled inwardly at the thought of her boyfriend lying on the floor blackened with ash. She knew him to have a natural talent for anything he tried but she doubted that the idiot could concentrate long enough to cast a proper spell. She was proven wrong though when Link showed off everything he had learned after training which far exceeded her expectations.

* * *

**So this was the first chapter that included a fight scene. What did you think? Midna's training actually was relatively easy for me to write, I actually have learned a tiny bit of sword fighting and know first-hand how tricky it is from the start. I've spent ages going through drills and still I make mistakes, there is just so much to learn and I don't get enough time to do so.**

**Later,**

**EquinoxWolf**


	7. Chapter 7: Making Swift Progress

**Hey guys, before we get into the next chapter I want to tell you about something that has been brought to my attention. Rigstig has pointed out that it was very unrealistic for Midna to use the Ordon sword as the blade would be too heavy for her. I had not considered this issue and I have made a few changes to remedy this. As such, I have edited the last scene in Chapter 6. It's nothing major, I've simply changed some dialogue so that it ties up nicely with the rest of the story, should only take ten seconds for you to read the change.**

**I want to that Rigstig for the critical review as well as Remvis who supported the argument. If any of you see something that is not quite right with this story, don't be afraid to tell me. I can tell from the reviews that this story is pretty great but I can't make it perfect without you guys.**

**This issue of the sword being too heavy for Midna has got me thinking about something. In the game after you enter the Twilight Realm covering Faron Woods, Midna is swinging around the weapon quite easily even though she's in imp form, and therefore weaker than her true form. I wonder, is this an example of Nintendo logic or does this mean that Twili have greater physical strength that what is expected?**

**In this chapter we go on a bit more about Link and Midna's training but we meet a new character, an old one and we get some backstory from another. Next week we move on in the story to main adventure. I want to apologize in advance to anyone named Dennis, it is a respectable name and the opinion of it in this chapter is not mine. Enjoy Chapter 7.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Making Swift Progress**

Link and Midna's training went as such; grueling hours building their new skills, shorter sessions sharpening their old ones and occasionally the two of them were pitted against each other in sparring matches. Within a few days Link had oiled up his rusty swordplay and was able to finally defeat their trainer Sarafi in more than one of their matches. As the Gerudo foretold, Midna was able to hold her brand new rapier with far greater ease than with the Ordon sword. However, Sarafi insisted that the former princess continue to train partially with the heavy broadsword for "strength building" purposes.

In terms of sorcery, Link had quickly mastered a variety of new spells, impressing both his mentors and Midna. He tried to use magic without any incantations but his attempts all proved fruitless, yet he persisted. Sometimes after training Midna would teach him a few tricks she learned while growing up. In turn Link taught Midna some of his hidden skills. Though she had seen him execute them countless times they were in fact much more difficult than they appeared.

Today Jarret had brought Link to the running track in the main area of the training center. Link wondered what kind of magic he would be learning that had anything to do with running. He did not have to think long as someone was racing around the colosseum at blinding speed. As the blurry figure hurtled around towards them, a sense of dread filled the Hero of Light when he recognized the person.

"Oh goddesses no," he complained as he stared at the tall red hat and white uniform of the Postman, who skidded to a halt as soon as he reached the Hero and his trainer.

"Heeeey, Mr Link! What a surprise to see you here," the skinny Postman greeted in his high, nasally voice..

Jarret did not seem to share Link's disdain. "Hello Dennis. How's Hyrule been treating you?"

'_Dennis?_' Link thought darkly, '_an annoying name for an annoying git._'

"Oh same old, same old, Mr Jarret," Dennis replied. "Things have been slow since peace returned to the kingdom. I'm currently on paid leave there so I thought I'd come by and see my girl." The fact that someone like the Postman could possibly have a girlfriend was the biggest surprise that Link had had all week, and that was saying something.

Jarret then turned to Link. "I can tell you're a bit taken aback by seeing Dennis here." '_Well that's one way of putting it,_' Link thought. "Dennis was born into the Order but he never quite made the cut to be a full agent so he works for us as an informant in Hyrule."

"What was the problem?" Link asked, genuinely curious.

Dennis gestured to his scrawny bicep. "Muscular deficiency in the arms," he explained, "literally can't use a weapon to save my life. Of course that never stopped me from becoming a darn good magician."

"You see Link," Jarret took over, "Dennis is the fastest member of the Peacekeeper Order. He has mastered a spell that accelerates the body's speed far better than anyone else."

"So that's how he gets around Hyrule on foot so quickly," Link realized. Dennis the Postman seemed to run all over the kingdom delivering everyone's mail. How the one man managed to handle all that work on his own without a horse had always made Link wonder.

Jarret nodded. "Yes and today you will be learning that spell. It is called Rabbit Dash."

The Twili instructed the Hero how to perform the spell and told him to stand at the starting line of the track. When he was ready, Link called out the incantation and sprinted forward. In an instant he felt his muscles charge with power, moving faster, easier. The rush excited him as he blitzed down the track. Jarret and Dennis watched the green blur complete a few laps from the sidelines before turning to face each other.

"He looks like he's doing well. Time to kick things up a notch." Jarret decided. He walked over to a nearby pillar and pulled down on a lever.

"This will be good," Dennis chuckled.

Link was running faster and faster without a care in the world until he heard a strange mechanical noise. Pieces of the track before him began rising up forming short obstacles in the Hero's path. He barely had time to jump over the first two but then he finally adjusted to the change. He continued to leap over one fence after another effortlessly without losing speed until he mistimed the last jump and his back foot clipped the top of the obstacle. The minor collision was enough to cause Link to lose control of his speed. He stumbled off of the track, still moving at an inhuman pace, until he crashed into a stone pillar.

The senior Peacekeepers cringed at the sound of the collision. "You know," Dennis said, looking at the unconscious form of the Hero of Light, "when I see recruits do that I think about how it was when I started training and realize... it's fun watching them crash."

Jarret could not help but grin. "I hear that," he chuckled. "We'd better take him to the hospital though."

* * *

Midna barely had time to block an overhead slash with her rapier. She aimed a thrust at her attacker, who sidestepped out of the way. Now that her mentor was standing so close to Midna's right, she sent out a small blast of magic that caused her opponent to lose their balance. Without missing a beat, Midna jumped high over Sarafi and rapped her on the shoulder with the flat of her blade, then slammed the Gerudo's back after landing behind her.

"Enough," Sarafi stated.

Midna backed away and lowered her sword, a triumphant smile spread across her face. It was the first time that she had ever landed a deciding blow on her teacher. Rubbing her assaulted shoulder, Sarafi turned around a grinned proudly at her pupil. The former princess had advanced remarkably well in her training. Sarafi liked to think that it was because of her teaching ability but she knew that there were other contributing factors, such as the Hero of Light.

"Let's have a break. You did exceptionally that time," she told Midna.

They sat down on a bench and drank from canteens of water to re-hydrate themselves. Working up a sweat made the water a sweet, soothing elixir of life. For a minute Midna watched her mentor through the corner of her eye. Finally her curiosity got the better of her.

"Sarafi, can I ask you a personal question?" she said shyly.

The Gerudo did not look at her. "If it's about that boyfriend of yours, then no."

Midna shook her head. "It's not that. I want to ask you about what happened to your leg... if that's alright with you, that is." She was referring to the wooden prosthetic hidden underneath Sarafi's trousers. The thought had been plaguing Midna for some time now but she had yet to build up the courage to ask about it.

Sarafi wordlessly rolled up her right trouser leg and exposed the artificial limb beneath. She was silent for a moment, staring at the leg solemnly before at last she spoke. "I was in the middle of a battle. I had been assigned to join the Holodrum army when an enemy country declared war in hopes of obtaining more territory. In the chaos I was hit by an axe from behind. It was a clean cut through the knee joint, right between the plates of my armor. I fell to the ground instantly and was no longer able to fight. I would have died that day if one of my allies had not saved me from my attacker."

Midna covered her mouth in horror, trying to imagine what her teacher had gone through. Sarafi took a breath before continuing.

"As soon as was possible some of my fellow agents dragged me out of the carnage and brought me immediately to Skyloft. Despite us having the best medical facilities and doctors there is nothing you can do for a severed leg. It was the end of my career as a Peacekeeper, the only life I have ever known. I was devastated. Fortunately the council was kind enough to give me a new responsibility; training new recruits. It is not as glorious as working in the field but it beats a desk job any day and for that I am grateful."

"I'm sorry Sarafi," Midna said quietly.

The Gerudo gave a small smile. "What for? You weren't the one who took my leg. I enjoy passing on what I know to the next generation though I still do miss the old days." Sarafi covered her leg again.

"I have one more question though. Why is it that there were no Gerudo in Hyrule besides Ganondorf? Link told me that your people used to live in the desert but we never saw you."

Sarafi frowned at the mention of the Dark Lord. "Long ago we did live in the eastern deserts of Hyrule. It was a hard life I am told, food and water were scarce and the sand and sun presented many dangers. We coexisted with the other tribes well enough until that demon, Ganondorf, came to power. The laws of our tribe dictate that any man born among our race becomes our king as only one is born every hundred years. The Gerudo had no choice but to obey him.

"My people regretted the wrongs they committed under the Dark Lord's rule. When he was defeated by the Hero of Time the Gerudo surrendered and begged to be pardoned. The princess of Hyrule mercifully agreed to spare us but in return she commanded the Gerudo to leave Hyrule indefinitely. Since then the Gerudo have been scattered, some moving into other countries, some taking to the seas. Others were lucky enough to join the Peacekeepers."

Midna took a moment to absorb the information. "Why did the Order take the Gerudo in after they did so many terrible things? I thought the Peacekeepers were meant to be heroes."

Sarafi looked at her student critically. "The same could be said about the Twili, after all they did try to conquer the sacred realm thousands of years ago."

Ashamed and embarrassed, Midna averted her gaze. "Sorry. I should have thought of that. I didn't mean to offend you."

Her mentor gave a small chuckle, showing that she was not. "It is quite alright. While my race has a bloody history there are those who possess the characteristics the Order seeks in its agents. What made us so desirable to the Order was our fighting skill. Naturally Gerudo are superior in combat to any other race. From a physiological point of view, any Gerudo would be eligible to become an agent. Joining the Peacekeepers was advantageous to us as well; most men here are skillful warriors who make for attractive mates and there's more than enough for every one of us."

Sarafi smirked suggestively and she with her pupil laughed. When they calmed down, the Gerudo stood up from the bench. "That's enough for a break then. Let's run through disarming techniques once more." Midna eagerly stood up as well, wanting nothing more to make her mentor proud.

* * *

Link's head throbbed painfully when he finally regained consciousness. He had not had such a migraine since he took a Bulblin's club from behind just before the Twilight covered Hyrule. He tried to remember what had happened to him. The last thing he recalled was Jarret teaching him a new spell and seeing the Postman. Goddesses, he must have hit his head really hard if he thought he saw the Postman in Skyloft.

He took a look at his surroundings. He was lying on a bed in a sterile looking room. Link could smell the bitter odors of medicine which was enough to tell him he was in a hospital or someplace similar. He noticed a rather skinny man hunched over a bench on the far side of the room with his back facing the Hero. The man appeared to be grinding herbs together in a mortar from the sound of it. Link tried to sit up but his head hurt too much so he abandoned the effort with a pained groan. He pulled his hand to his head and realized that his cranium had been wrapped in bandages.

The skinny man heard the noise and turned to face Link. He smiled at the Hero and walked over to the bed. "Good, you've finally woken up," the man said. His face was long and skinny, with a nose shaped like a bird's beak. He leaned in to examine the Hero's eyes and prodded his skull gently. The slight touch made Link wince.

"How are you feeling right now?" he asked the Hero. Link was about to bite the man's head off as he was clearly in tremendous pain but reason came back to him to make him realize that the man was probably a doctor and was only checking on his new patient.

"My head hurts like hell," Link groaned. "What happened?"

"You had a rather nasty accident while you were training this morning. Your instructor told me you lost control whilst practicing speed magic and ran into a pillar. Not an unusual event, I get at least three of you every fortnight. Luckily you only suffered a concussion and a skull fracture, both of which are minor." The doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of blue potion.

He uncorked the bottle and held it to Link's nose. The smell was absolutely wretched and made the Hero gag. 'This will take away some of the pain and help heal that crack in your noggin," the doctor told him. Link tried to refuse but another horrible wave of pain made him reconsider. He opened his lips and allowed the doctor to pour the potion into his mouth. The vile, bitter taste caused him to shudder as he forced himself to swallow. Within seconds the agony was beginning to recede as the medicine did its work.

"I've told Jarret that you are to rest for a few days so you won't be going back to training anytime soon," the doctor said as he resealed the half-empty bottle. "So tell me, who do I have the pleasure of treating today? I've never seen you in my little clinic before."

Link was finally able to sit up though his head still throbbed. "My name's Link," he told the doctor, "I came from a small village called Ordon just south of Hyrule. I joined the Peacekeepers a little bit over a week ago with my girlfriend." Referring to Midna as his girlfriend was still a novel thing for Link but he supposed that no other word truly described their relationship.

The doctor nodded in understanding. "Ah yes, I know of you. You are Link, the Hero of Light. My name is Rovair, I am honored to meet you. I have heard many great things about you such as how you cleansed Hyrule of the Twilight and defeated Ganondorf, a powerful being who had lived hundreds of years. Yes, you are truly a living legend."

Link hated being admired like this. People often made him out to be invincible and not at all normal person. He never thought of himself being anything special but it was as if the entire world was out to prove him otherwise. Sure he possessed the Triforce of Courage and the Master Sword but he thought he only did what anyone else could have done.

Rovair noticed his discomfort however and laughed. "I know what you're thinking. 'I'm nothing special, I'm just a regular guy like everyone else', am I right?"

Shock spread across Link's face, the doctor knew exactly what he was thinking. Rovair took the reaction as confirmation and chuckled some more.

"There's no need to feel embarrassed, most people who are recruited by the Order feel much the same way. They each have done something spectacular to save the lives of others but they all believe that anyone in their situation could have done the same. Personally I don't see myself as being all that extraordinary either." Rovair turned away and moved towards the workbench he was standing at earlier, returning to whatever task he had abandoned when Link awoke.

Link pondered the doctor's statement for a moment. "So you were recruited as well then?"

"Hm?" Rovair responded without looking behind him. "Oh, yes, yes. You would not believe it but I am actually the eighth prince of Labrynna. No chance of ever succeeding my father as king but then again I never had much interest in ruling. You see, since I was a lad I had developed a passion for healing. There were often times I would stay awake throughout the night engrossed a textbook from the library without noticing the sun had risen up in the morning," he laughed at the memory.

"When I was fourteen I began studying under the royal doctor, of course within a couple of years I was giving _him _advice on how to treat patients. Sometimes I couldn't tell whether he was proud or resentful of me for it, perhaps it was a bit of both. Eventually rumors of my skills began to spread and caught the Peacekeepers' attention. One day they offered to make me one of their doctors with the best resources in the world. Wanting to do more for a greater cause, I accepted. Naturally, being royalty, I had to pretend to have fallen down the stairs and died."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Link said sympathetically. "If it helps, Midna had to do the same thing because she was the princess of her people, so she understands."

Rovair twisted to look at him. "Is she that girlfriend of yours? If that's so, I'd quite like to meet with her some time. It's always interesting to hear people's stories. Of course I don't get much time outside this clinic so talking to my patients is the only way I really learn about the affairs of others, not that I was ever one to enjoy the open air though. Oh and don't feel bad about my past, I don't regret what I had to do anymore.

"So how's that head of yours now?" Rovair asked, changing the subject.

Link prodded his bandaged head gingerly but felt very little discomfort from it. "Feels fine, I can barely feel any pain."

"Good," Rovair replied, satisfied by the results. "You may be feeling better but like I said don't push yourself. The headache may be gone but you may start to feel dizzy as you are up and about, so go home and get some rest."

Link made to stand up and just as the doctor told him he began to feel nauseous. He had to hold on to the edge of the bed to keep him up straight. "Thank you Rovair."

The doctor smiled. "Anytime my friend. If you ever need medical attention or potions to take with you on missions just come and see me, my door is always open."

"I'll be sure to remember that," Link smiled.

* * *

Midna was returning to Link's room after finishing her training with Sarafi. Her right wrist hurt something awful after taking a brutal smack from her teacher's blade. When she opened the door she found Link sprawled along the couch with a bandage wrapped around the top of his head. He looked up groggily when he heard her come in.

"What happened to you?" she asked, imagining a hundred different scenarios where Link did something incredibly stupid to injure himself.

"Ran into a post while I was training," he mumbled. The walk back from the hospital had flared up his migraine again. By the time he stumbled through the door he felt sick so he decided to lie down where he had been for the past two hours.

Midna giggled. "Only you would be dumb enough to hurt yourself that badly by running into something."

"Hey I was moving faster than Epona after a sugar cube binge, I lost control," he retorted. "Arrgh, my head's killing me."

Midna walked over to him and leaned over the back of the couch with a smirk. "Awww, does baby need me to kiss it better?" she teased, bending down to give him a light peck on his bandages.

Link grinned up at her. "That actually does make me feel a lot better. So how was your day?"

Midna stood up and massaged her sore wrist in her other hand. "Fine until I took a whack to the wrist during practice," she said.

"Awww, does baby need me to kiss it better?" Link parroted, grinning.

"Grow up," she scoffed. "I'm going to have a bath now. I've been sweating all day."

"I know," Link said before he could stop himself, "I could track your scent even without my wolf senses."

Midna placed her hand on top of his scalp and proceeded to press down on it. "OW OW OW OW!" he complained loudly as the pressure increased. "Okay, STOP! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"

Midna pushed a little harder for a just second to get her point across before she relented. "I strongly suggest you mind your manners from now on or next time you'll be spending the night on that couch." She left him to rub his tender forehead as she shut the bathroom door firmly behind her.

* * *

**Twili Link. I should have mentioned that before but I wanted to keep it a surprise. In Cursed by Shadow, Link becomes a Twili early in the story and him getting used to the transformation becomes the main theme. I don't know if it will affect whether people want me to write the story or not but I just wanted to put it out there. Now I'm going to shut up about it.**

**In other news, for my next project I am going to be rewriting and completing Forever Together by Magic Basher54986. This story was about Midna getting stranded in the Light Realm as she is about to return home, all thanks to Link. The story was unfortunately discontinued due to a few issues but Magic Basher has been kind enough to allow me to take up the story and rework it. I am excited about this and can't wait until I get the time to start work on it.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter, next one we get down to business. Until next time,**

**EquinoxWolf**


	8. Chapter 8: The First Mission

**Hello wonderful readers. First off I want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story. We have now reached 30+ reviews, which I feel is a real achievement for a first story in its current stage. Love reading that I have won the attention of some skeptical readers which gives me a lot of confidence. Here's Chapter 8.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The First Mission**

Three weeks had passed since Link and Midna were enlisted into the Peacekeeper Order. At the end of those three weeks they had learned much and their skills had greatly improved. Finally they had been given the all-clear by Callum that they were both were ready to fight the Demon's Flames. In the dining hall the previous night, the senior Peacekeeper had told them to come to the mission control building the following morning so that he could brief them on their mission.

The building was unlike anything Link or Midna had ever seen. Various people and creatures hurried this way and that within a highly organised looking office. Link and Midna tried to keep out of the way as they made along the twisting corridors and searched the numbered doors for the room where Callum was waiting. Eventually they found it and when they entered, they received a pleasant surprise as Groose sat at a large wooden table, facing them with a greeting smile.

"Groose," Link exclaimed as he grasped the other boy in a firm handshake, "what are you doing here?"

It was Callum, standing at the far end of the table, who answered. "I thought it would be wise for a more experienced agent to accompany you on your first mission. This is a serious matter we're dealing with so it's a good idea for you to have some backup. I figured that Groose was the perfect candidate since the three of you have already gotten along so well."

Groose grinned confidently with his arms crossed. "Don't worry about a thing. So long as Groose is around you two are going to be just fine."

"Oh I think you'll find that you have that backwards mister. Link and I have faced worse than a bunch of religious wackos," Midna smirked in return. "If you're lucky, you'll get to sit back and relax while we take care of everything."

Callum cleared his throat to interrupt the friendly banter. "Now that we are all here I suggest that we begin discussing our strategy." All four of them took a seat at one end of the enormous table with Link and Midna facing Callum and Groose.

"I have just explained to Groose the situation we face; Brandon has gone rogue from the Order, has taken leadership of the Demon's Flames and has allied himself with the Demon Lord, Ghirahim. According to our spies within the cult, Ghirahim and Brandon have found a way to resurrect Demise. They must locate a place known only as the Well of the Accursed and perform a revival ritual within its deepest chamber." Noticing the confused faces on the newer agents, he elaborated.

"The Well is a place only heard of in legend and even our knowledge of it is very limited. All we really do know is that it is rumoured to be the gateway to the underworld and all evil souls that have died are drawn to it like a magnet. As to where the Well is; we don't know, but luckily for us neither do the Flames so that gives us some time.

"According to legend, in order to open the entrance to the Well one must possess the elemental powers of the world; forest, fire, water, spirit, shadow and light."

"The power of the Sages," Link interrupted. The Sages were the guardians of the Mirror of Twilight from the Arbitor's Grounds. They were also responsible for protecting the Sacred Realm if the legends were true, which Link had learned long ago that most of them were. Supposedly there were six in total but he had only ever met five of them as the Sage of Water had previously been slain by Ganondorf.

"Exactly," Callum nodded. "In order for the Hero of Time to confront Ganondorf, the Sages bestowed him with six medallions, each imbued with their respective power. Afterwards, these medallions were hidden across the world by the Sages and now serve as keys to the Well of the Accursed. If we are to keep the Flames from opening the Well, we must obtain the medallions before they do.

"Their locations have been buried from all knowledge with only cryptic clues to guide us and it is taking all of our resources to find and decipher those clues. Unfortunately, the Flames already have a head start on us. Whilst you two were training, they had already acquired the Water Medallion and the Spirit Medallion, and are currently looking for the rest."

"Why didn't you tell us this?" Midna asked angrily. "We should have been out there trying to stop them. Instead we've been sitting around on our hands for weeks doing nothing!"

"You were not ready to confront either Ghirahim or Brandon," Callum explained firmly. "I kept this from you because you two needed to focus on your training and we could not afford you to get distracted or try anything brash."

Link placed a hand on Midna's shoulder. "I don't like it either Midna, but he's right. Remember how much trouble we had fighting Jarret and Sarafi when we first came here? Ghirahim and Brandon would definitely be more powerful than they are so we wouldn't have stood a chance against them." Midna only responded with a resigned huff but she understood. He turned back to Callum, "If we have spies among the enemy then why don't they just steal back the medallions that have already been found?"

"We did plant agents inside the cult however that doesn't mean they're still there. While they did manage to dig up some critical intelligence for us, eventually their cover was blown and they either fled or were killed. The problem was that Brandon used to be a senior Peacekeeper so he was able to recognise our informants, and the ones that we trained after he vanished are not ready for infiltration missions yet and won't be some time. Worse is that Brandon knows how to jam scrying mirrors so we can't spy on him from afar. For the most part, we're in the dark about the Flames."

"Despite our delayed start, I believe that this time we have the upper hand," Callum continued. "While the clues on the whereabouts of the medallions are all suggestive at best, we actually do know the exact location of one of them; the Forest Medallion."

Groose furrowed his brow. "But everyone in the Order knows where it is. Even after defeating Ganondorf, the Hero of Time always carried it around on him. Brandon should know that as well so he and his cronies are probably already marching there right now."

"That is a valid point," Callum agreed, "but the reason why he has not done so already is because of where the medallion is now."

Midna's temper was starting to rise again. "Can you two please let us in on what you're talking about?" she snapped. "Where is this medallion and what makes it so goddess-damned hard to get?"

The bearded Peacekeeper did not visibly react to her outburst and gazed at her steadily before speaking. "The medallion is hidden in the Lost Woods, far deeper in than either of you have been before. It resides in a place called the Forest Temple, which is protected by so that it's impossible to warp to. The barrier around the temple acts like a magical filter so that only certain people have the privilege of warping in or out. Sadly the only two people with that authority are both long dead so you will have to go there on foot."

Link frowned in thought. "Both times Midna and I went into the Lost Woods we needed the Skull Kid to keep us from losing our way. Maybe if we find him he can lead us to the temple." Midna groaned quietly beside him, clearly not looking forward to the prospect of following the creepy little forest-dweller again.

"That is what I was thinking. We have already attempted to make contact with Skull Kid countless times," Callum explained. "however, each time he leads our agents they go around in circles for days, as if he wants to get them stranded in there. Fortunately they all warped out of the forest as soon as they caught on so we never lost anyone.

"As you managed to get to where you wanted to go in those woods, I believe that Skull Kid will be able to help you. I'm not certain if he will take even you to the temple directly but he may take you to the Kokiri village instead, which is the next best place. From there you may be able to find another guide who will be more willing to take you to your final destination."

"What's a Kokiri?' Midna asked, perplexed.

"I heard stories that they're children who live in the forest and never grow up," Link answered, trying to recall the bedtime tales Uli told him when he was little. "I remember it being said that each on has a fairy partner and that they can never leave their forest or else they die."

Callum nodded in confirmation. "I believe that the Kokiri may be inclined to help you if you manage to persuade them. So your mission is as follows. First, travel to the Lost Woods and get the Skull Kid to take you to the Kokiri village. Second, convince one of the Kokiri to escort you to the Forest Temple. Third, locate and retrieve the Forest Medallion from within the temple. Do you all understand?" The younger three nodded in unison.

"Alright then," Callum said, "prepare yourselves for what lies ahead and move out as soon as possible."

Link, along with Midna and Groose began to leave the room when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder from behind. "Link, can I talk to you for a second longer please?" Callum asked. Noticing Link had stopped, Midna turned to see what was holding him up. Link signalled to her to go on without him then faced his senior with curiosity.

"If it's not too personal, may I ask how things are between you and Midna?" The question surprised Link though he answered nonetheless.

"Everything's fine," he said. "Honestly, I was a worried things were going to change between us at first but after a little while it just felt natural like it was before, you know? Why do you ask?"

Callum scratched at his beard as he spoke. "No special reason. It's just that you two have a history together and becoming a Peacekeeper is often an ordeal for people at first. I was especially concerned about Midna, having to leave her old life like she did would not be easy on her I imagine."

Link hung his head and sighed. "She tries to hide how she feels but I every now and again I see that sad look in her eyes. I try to get her to talk about it but Midna's always been reserved when it comes to her feelings. Some nights I hear her mumble in her sleep about it and that worries me. I know she doesn't regret coming here but it's how she left that I think is the problem."

Callum nodded in understanding. "Yes, that is often the case for people like her. All that you can do for her is to be there for her until her wounds heal. Just keep trying and eventually she will open up to you. I would like to ask you something Link, if you are willing."

"What is it?" Link asked.

"When you are out there I want you to take care of Midna. It is rare for recruits to continue to be with someone from their past, even rarer for a pair with your kind of relationship. Think of it as a gift. Hold on her Link, and never let her go."

Link held the other man's gaze with a fierce determination. "Don't worry. I will never let anything happen to her. I lost her once before. I'm not going to lose her again."

* * *

On his way back to his room, Link was still thinking about his conversation with Callum. He too had been concerned about Midna's emotional well-being and he felt completely useless that he was unable to help her. Since becoming the Hero of Light, he had been put through many hardships that no one else should have to go through. These trials took their toll on him so it helped to talk every now and again when there was someone around who would understand, usually that was his shadowy companion. But now Midna was the one suffering and the fact that she would not talk to him about it made his heart feel heavy.

When he arrived home he found Midna checking over her gear. She sat on the bed with her sword in her hands. She inspected the blade for nicks then put it away when she was satisfied there were none. Finally she noticed that Link had walked in.

"What did Callum want?" she asked.

Link shrugged, not wanting to tell her what exactly they were discussing. "Nothing much, just wanted to give me some friendly advice." He moved to sit beside Midna on the mattress. "So... here we are again," he said quietly.

Midna gave a small smile. "Off to save the world from another disaster. Just like old times isn't it?"

"Exploring ancient temples, overcoming unimaginable dangers, defeating evil monsters, barely avoiding certain death," he listed with a smirk, "wonderful memories."

"Yeah," Midna giggled. "To be honest, I've missed all that. Not because I'm some adrenaline addict but because we went through it all together." She rested her head on his shoulder. "No matter what happened I knew things were going to turn out okay. With you I felt safe."

Link wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her in closer. "I know what you mean, I feel the same. No matter how rough things got for me back then I knew that I was never alone. You always managed go give me the strength I needed to carry on. Without you I would never have been able to keep going, if I fell then I wouldn't be able to stand up again. You're everything to me Midna."

"You're such a sap," she giggled again.

"Only because I mean it," he replied, grinning at her. He kissed her on the top of her head to prove his point, earning a mock display of disgust from Midna.

After a few minutes she ended the embrace and looked at him softly. "We need to go soon. Groose is probably waiting for us now. You should start getting ready too."

"No need. I've got all my equipment on me already and had it all fixed up at the scrap shop. Who knew that sitting in a chest for two months could make them lose their edge." Since learning from Jarret how to store excess items in the same manner that his partner did, Midna had insisted that Link start carrying all of his gear from then on.

"Always prepared aren't you?" she smiled.

"I have to be, all part of the job as the Hero," he replied, returning the expression. "Plus it helps that the Master Sword never dulls. Saves hours having to sharpen it after every battle."

"Way to rub it in Hero," she frowned.

* * *

Later as they walked to the rookery where they were to meet up with Groose, Link and Midna passed by many of the new friends they had made while living on the floating island. Each and every last one of them wished them good luck on their mission, some wishing that they could tag along. Though the couple had only spent a short time on Skyloft and much of their free time was spent in the training center, they were already starting to feel like part of the community. It was comforting to know that they were not completely alone in the Peacekeepers' isolated world.

After being delayed by endless goodbyes, they finally arrived at their destination. Below the tall stone tower was a wide wooden pier that loomed over the clouds. On the pier stood four figures, who upon closer inspection were no one else but Groose and Callum along with the trainers Jarret and Sarafi. Whatever discussion they seemed to be having was interrupted when they noticed the Hero and his loving companion approach.

"Am I right to assume this is our farewell committee?" Midna asked smiling.

"You would be," Callum replied. "I preferred that your team left quickly but these two insisted on being here to send you off."

Jarret grinned broadly. "What, after three weeks of teaching these kids how to save the world you expect us not to want to see them go off on their first mission? You wound me Callum."

"Remember all that we taught you," Sarafi said, placing a hand on Midna's shoulder. "It could mean the difference between life and death should you encounter our enemies."

Midna put her hand on top of her mentor's. "You don't have to worry about us. Link and I are used to this sort of thing. We'll be fine."

The Gerudo smiled. "It never hurts to be reminded. Now go, we are all counting on you."

"Thank you," Link told her and the old Twili. "I promise we won't let you down."

"Don't push yourselves harder than you have to," Jarret said, "even the best fail occasionally, but don't just throw in the towel when things get tough."

Groose was starting to get impatient. "Come on you guys, we've got a medallion to find."

After a final round of goodbyes the team of the Hero of Light, the Twilight Princess and their new partner stood side by side on the edge of the pier. Groose shouted "Here we go!" before leaping into the void, performing the age-old Peacekeeper tradition of heading into the unknown. Link and Midna promptly followed suit, feeling the rush as they free fell, hurtling towards the ground below obscured by a sea of fluffy white.

Together, each of the three brought their fingers to their lips and whistled high and clearly. Shrieks filled the air and a second later three loftwings swooped underneath to catch their masters on their backs. With their loads saved from a deadly descent the loftwings gathered into formation. Groose's purple bird took the lead, steering them around towards the direction of the forests of Hyrule.

It was finally time to start a new adventure.

* * *

**I've kind of got my reserves for the name "Well of the Accursed". The idea of a well for tormented souls has been done to death but I could never think of anything original that worked better. If you have a suggestion for a better name then send me a private message. Would have loved to continue this chapter some more but then the next one would be too short.**

**Until next time,**

**EquinoxWolf**


	9. Chapter 9: Mistaken Identity

**Hello wonderful readers. I've decided to update a little bit early as I'm trying to dedicate the next few days to finishing some assignments. I also felt a bit bored since none of the stories I follow have been updated this week. Warning: I do question some Zelda logic at the start.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Mistaken Identity**

The flight to the woods was uneventful to say the least. Over the roaring of the wind, it was difficult to have an intelligible conversation so Link, Midna and Groose flew in silence. Within the first hour the whole of Hyrule was visible; the towering Death Mountain in the east, the vast Gerudo Desert of the west, the freezing cliffs of Snowpeak to the north and dense, green forests towards the south. At the heart of the kingdom was the crystal-blue Lake Hylia and if they looked carefully, they would see the tiny mass of stone buildings that was Castle Town. Seeing the land from this point of view was truly a sight to behold.

Once they were over the forests in Faron Province, they began their gradual descent. Groose shouted that the forest canopy was too thick further on so they needed to find a place to land. Link pointed when he saw the outcropping where the entrance to the Lost Woods was. The space was far too cramped for all three loftwings to land at once, so their riders took it in turns to dismount. As soon as Link's feet touched solid ground, he scanned the familiar woods and inhaled its fresh air, reliving part of his previous adventure.

"I don't understand why we didn't simply warp here," Midna commented as the giant birds flew away. "It would have been much faster that way."

"I get what you mean," Groose said, readjusting his sword belt as he spoke. "But nothing beats flying a loftwing when going off on a mission. It just feels right, y'know."

"I guess," Midna crossed her arms. "It was fun, but it still feels like we're wasting time."

From where they stood, they could see the giant tree that was the first temple Link and Midna had ever explored. Suddenly a thought popped into the Hero's head. "Hey Groose, isn't the place we're looking for called the Forest Temple?"

The red-haired boy turned towards him. "Yeah. What about it?"

"Well isn't that place over there called the Forest Temple?" Link asked as he pointed to the giant tree. "I don't want to sound like I know more than the Order, but that's what everyone's called that place as far as I've heard, and I'm pretty sure it's not that difficult to get into."

Groose gave a short laugh. "I guess so, funny that. You see, that temple over there was constructed by humans long ago, but it's really more of a tomb that was used to seal away the Fused Shadows. The Forest Temple we're going to we have no idea who built it, though it's supposedly where the Sage of Forest is supposed to be at their most powerful. Few people other than the Kokiri have ever been there and come back alive to tell about it."

"So why do they have the same name?" Link asked.

"Well if you think about it they're both temples that are in the middle of a forest," Groose replied. "Since the Kokiri never leave their home and not many humans get to meet them, nobody really noticed that there were two forest temples. Guess folks in ancient times weren't very original when it came to naming important places."

"That makes sense," Midna said, nodding in understanding.

They then entered the woods, which possessed a strange stagnant air that made the quiet forest seem timeless and ancient. The canopy above was so thick that no sunlight could penetrate it, cloaking the area in darkness. The three searched the immediate area in hopes of finding the childlike being that dwelt there but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Where do you think that little twerp is?" Midna wondered out loud. If they were unable to find the Skull Kid then their chances of finding the Forest Medallion were looking slimmer and slimmer.

"I don't know," Link replied. "This is where we usually see him. Maybe we should..."

He was interrupted when an ill-omened blare of a horn echoed from the treetops. Almost instantly a group of skeletal puppets dropped down and proceeded to attack the intruders. With a short, startled cry, Link drew his sword and hacked the menaces to pieces in a single swing. Once the puppets were dispatched, a small figure in moldy-orange clothes jumped down to the ground. The Skull Kid looked at the Hero with a creepy grin.

"Hi," the sprite greeted with unmoving lips. "I wasn't expecting to see you here again." He looked towards Midna and sniffed. "I remember you. You look different now; taller, and a lot less ugly." Midna's face contorted in fury but the tiny pest only giggled. "Let's play," he declared.

"Hold on," Link said before Skull Kid ran off. "If we play with you, could you please take us to where the Kokiri live? You know who the Kokiri are don't you?" He prayed that the answer to both questions was yes.

The sprite held a silent gaze that made the Hero feel uncomfortable. "I know who the forest children are." Skull Kid said ominously, "and I know where you _really_ want to go... I'm not allowed to go to _that _temple anymore, not after the mask... But I can take you to the forest children. Try to catch me." The glee returned to Skull Kid's voice as he disappeared in a burst of falling leaves.

Not wanting to lose the sprite, Link and company ran through the only path leading further into the forest. They could not see Skull Kid anywhere and only had the sound of his horn and the light of his lantern to go by. More than occasionally their guide blew a long, inharmonious note which was followed by the appearance of more puppets. There were many more showing up at once than the first time so all three of the group had to fight together to dispatch them.

Hours passed on by and the three Peacekeepers were reaching the point of exhaustion, yet they kept going. They could not afford to lose track of the Skull Kid. Link was beginning to get really sick of their guide's song and hoped that their destination was close by. Another hour may have passed, it was so hard to tell in these sunless woods, when at last they caught up to the Skull Kid. He was standing on top of the trunk of a dead tree, looking down upon his playmates imposingly.

Suddenly the tiny creature growled and stamped his feet, the impacts resonating throughout the clearing. From Link's earlier experiences with the sprite, he knew that they were very close to the Kokiri village and that Skull Kid would not let them continue without a fight. The forest child disappeared again and popped on top of a nearby stump then blew his horn with all his might. More puppets descended from the treetops and approached the Hero's company slowly. Midna and Groose raised their swords, waiting to intercept their attackers.

Knowing that their master was the source of the skeletons' life force, Link summoned his bow and aimed an arrow right at Skull Kid. The puppets were dangerously close when Link let the arrow fly. With a '_hiss'_ and a '_thunk'_, the projectile slammed right into its target, who cried out in discomfort. Every last one of the creeping skeletons fell to pieces with the interruption of the enchanting music.

Skull Kid vanished once more, reappearing on a high branch with no evidence that he had been wounded. The sprite called for more minions and Link notched another arrow. Shot after shot, the conflict reiterated itself until the Skull Kid gave out a cry that was louder and more definite that before. When the sprite picked itself up, it looked at Link and laughed.

"Heehee. That was fun. Bye," he said as he departed back into the trees. A wall of tree trunks up ahead split apart with a groan, sunlight pouring in through the gap. Not wasting a second, the team sprinted towards the light and were blinded as they escaped the darkness of the woods.

When their eyes adjusted, they found themselves in a beautiful clearing. Huts made out of living trees dotted the glade. The atmosphere still carried the sense of timelessness but there was also life in this peaceful space. Everywhere they looked there were small children dressed completely in green, each followed by a fairy of various colors of blue, red and yellow. One boy took notice of the three strangers and studied them in interest.

"Hey everybody, Link's here!" he shouted enthusiastically. More children appeared from within the huts and ran towards the Hero excitedly. In less than a minute, the Hero of Light and his companions were surrounded by little Kokiri.

"Hi Link, where have you been? Who are your friends? Did you come to visit us? Are you going to see Saria? Can you play with us?" the children asked all at once.

Link froze, unable to process what was going on. Why were these kids being so friendly towards him and how did they know his name? He turned to Midna with an expression that pleaded for help but she was just as stunned as he was. Turning back to the children, he racked his brain trying to come up with an appropriate response.

'_Master Link,_' said a voice in his head, it took him a moment to realize that the voice was Fi's, speaking to him from within the Master Sword. '_It appears that the Kokiri have mistaken you for someone else, most likely the Hero of Time. I predict that there is a 94% chance that the Kokiri will escort you to the Forest Temple if you play along with their assumption._'

Could that be right, Link wondered. Did the Kokiri really think that he was the Hero of Time? It made sense; the Hero of Time was said to have been raised by the Kokiri as a child and since Link wore the exact same garb as the previous Hero had, it was reasonable to assume they looked identical. The Hero of Time's name was also Link so that explained how the forest children knew the current Hero's name. Link, the Hero of Light, decided to follow Fi's suggestion.

"Hey guys, how are you?" He asked, trying his best to sound familiar with the unknown faces. "Sorry that I haven't visited in a while but I've been a bit busy."

The ruse appeared to be working as the forest children continued to cheerfully ask numerous questions. Link bluffed answers to most of them and pretended to not hear the ones he thought were too dangerous to reply to. He heard one voice ask how long he was going to stay for, so he decided to make his move.

"I can't stay for very long," he told them. "Something bad is happening outside of the forest and I need to stop it. I need to get to the temple as soon as possible but I don't quite remember how to get there." He prayed that his gamble about not knowing the way to the temple would work in his favor.

One of the Kokiri, a girl, laughed. "Silly Link, forgetting how to get to the temple." The other children laughed too. The girl continued, "I'll show you and your friends the way, but we'll have to go tomorrow. It's getting dark now." It was true; the sky had turned deep orange as the sun began to set beyond the treetops.

Travelling in the forest at night could be dangerous so Link, Midna and Groose decided to spend the night in the village. They used the Hero of Time's old house, which they only determined by reading the sign in front of it reading 'Link's House'. The small single-room home was remarkably clean despite the fact that no one had lived there in what may have been a hundred years or more. Satisfied that they were out of earshot of the forest's residents, the group discussed the recent events.

"What the heck was that all about?" Midna asked heatedly, referring to their unexpected reception. She kept her voice to a whisper in case any of the forest children were right outside.

"I think that the Kokiri believe that I'm the Hero of Time, who was once a friend of theirs," Link replied. "But what I don't understand is how they could possibly believe I'm him when the real Hero of Time's been dead for ages."

An expression of deep thought spread across Groose's face. "Well, the Kokiri don't age and they're essentially immortal. Plus, I don't think that the climate changes much here so it may be that the Kokiri don't quite understand time. They probably don't realize that a hundred years have passed and that the Hero of Time would be an old man by now even if he was still alive."

Midna nodded, agreeing to the theory, before turning to Link. "What did you think you were doing back there? If they found out you were lying then it would have been seriously bad for us," she hissed.

"Well they didn't," Link retorted. "Besides, it wasn't my idea to begin with. Fi told me it might be helpful if I let them believe I really was the Hero of Time. We're only going to be here until tomorrow so it doesn't matter what I tell them."

"Fi?" Midna exclaimed in a mix of surprise and annoyance. "So she's been whispering in your ear and telling you to lie to people, is that it? How long has this been going on for?"

"Just now was the first time," he snapped. "And don't talk about Fi like that, you're not much better. Remember that you did the same thing back in Hyrule and I had to do a number of dishonest things for you like cheating the Gorons at wrestling."

"Oh so now you're taking her side over mine now," she bit back angrily.

Sensing that a row was coming on and not wanting to get caught in the middle of it, Groose left the hut muttering that he was going to report back to Skyloft on their progress, not that they heard him though.

"I'm not taking anyone's side,' Link argued. "I only took advice from a friend because I didn't know what to do at the time."

Midna scoffed. "A friend is she? You only found out she existed in that bloody sword three weeks ago and since then how many times have you spoken to her?"

"Arrgh! Why are we even arguing about this?" he said exasperatedly. "Look, I'm sorry if I upset you, but what's done is done. I took a risk and it payed off so no harm done. Now can we please just let it go?"

Midna looked away from him and huffed. "Fine. Whatever." In truth, she was not even sure why she had reacted the way she had. Link posing as the Hero of Time would have been exactly the kind of thing she would have suggested if she had thought of it. But there was no way she was going to admit that to him now so she maintained her dark mood.

That night Link and Groose gave the only bed to Midna and slept on the floor. Finding that he was unable to sleep, Link pulled out the scrying mirror he had been given when he received full Peacekeeper status. On a whim, he thought of his old home of Ordon and looked deep into the reflective surface as it portrayed the scene of the little village.

It was nighttime there as well and everyone was in there homes. He altered the focus of the image to see within each family's house. First he viewed Rusl's house; Rusl sat in the living room with his baby son sleeping in his arms. Uli was in Colin's room telling the boy a bedtime story, most likely one about one of Hyrule's ancient heroes. Next he saw into Ilia's house. His childhood friend was playing a silent tune with a whistle in her room while her father slept downstairs. Link could tell that the fat mayor was snoring loudly.

Fado was having dinner with a woman that Link did not recognize. He had to assume that sometime after he left, his old work partner had found himself a lady friend. Link smiled and hoped that things worked out for them. He then checked on Talo and Malo who were both asleep as their parents snuggled up in front of the fire. Finally, Link focused on Beth's family. The little girl was also asleep while her father fed the cat. In the other room, her mother was soaking in the... '_Oh goddesses!_' Link hurriedly put away the mirror.

Link sighed. He missed his friends terribly and though he knew that he could never see them again, it helped to know that they were all still safe and happy. He looked over at Midna, sleeping peacefully on the bed. He hated that they had a fight over something so trivial. It was not unusual that they disagreed from time to time but never like this. He promised himself that he would find a way to make it up to her after they completed their mission in the forest. With that thought, he attempted sleep again and after a few minutes he was out like a light.

* * *

**I have to be honest about something. This is not the first story I started. I've got this other Twilight Princess story that somehow evolved into being one mainly about Colin, though Link and Midna play a crucial part. It's unfinished so I haven't published any of it and I had to put it aside for a number of reasons. **

**The story itself is very long and complex so it takes a while to get anywhere with it, took me 3 months just to write the plan for it. I was also concerned that it wouldn't be received as well as my other ideas because it was mostly based around a minor character. I wanted to wait until I built up a reputation for myself before I continue it. I do plan to finish the story because it believe it will be brilliant, but it'll be a long while until I complete it. Another issue holding me back is that the story starts with an unconventional idea that closely matches how I plan to finish another story. This means I have to wait a little longer to publish the first one, otherwise it'll ruin the surprise of the second.**

**The reason why I'm bringing this up is because I recently found out there was a LoZ story that had the same name as what I gave to my first story. I won't say what it is to avoid an argument, but I am pretty cheesed, especially since I started the project long before that other story was first published on this site. That's the problem with my writing style; if someone uses the same idea as me first, I'm the one who has to change what I've done. Fortunately I have a backup name, though it's not as good, but I would like to say to that other author; I hope you step on a Lego brick.**

**I apologize for my rant and I do not hold grudges for long, I will get over this.**

**Until next time,**

**EquinoxWolf**


	10. Chapter 10: The Hero and the Sage

**Hi guys, I got bored so I'm updating early again. I want to apologize that my previous two chapters have been a bit below standard; being rather short and uneventful. This chapter is chock-full of good stuff and is the longest chapter in this story. I had originally intended for this to be two separate chapters but then they would have been even shorter than Chapters 8 and 9. From this point on, every chapter is going to have something interesting that moves the plot along so hopefully we won't have any more dry segments. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Hero and the Sage**

The following morning the group woke early, eager to move on as soon as possible. The Kokiri girl from the previous day led them back into the dense woods with little concern of getting lost. The path they took twisted and turned back on itself and as a result the Peacekeepers quickly lost their bearings.

At one point the air in front of them shimmered slightly with a faint green hue. As they passed through, they felt a strange sensation as though walking into giant bubble. Link reasoned that they had just passed through the barrier that protected the Forest Temple, meaning that they were almost there. After climbing a large stone staircase, their escort stopped at a hexagonal alter facing an ancient, moss-covered structure.

The Kokiri girl told them that she could go no further so she bid them farewell and returned to her village in the clearing. Alone, Link and company looked up at the entrance of the temple, twenty feet above the ground with no stairs or ladder to reach it. Midna took the initiative and flew up to the entrance with Groose following via warping spell. Link could have simply used one of his clawshots but not wanting to be outdone by his companions, he focused his thoughts in preparation of a spell. He concentrated on where he wanted to be then he spoke the incantation.

"_Farore's Wind,_" he exclaimed, using the same warping spell that Groose had used. A small tornado surrounded the Hero and in less than a second he vanished. Within another gust of wind, he reappeared next to Midna and Groose atop the stone passageway. They then walked inside the temple, entering a large room with multiple doors leading onward. The Master Sword at that moment flashed in its scabbard as its spirit materialized before the group.

"Master Link," Fi reported, "deep inside the temple have I detected a strange mystical energy. I predict a 73% chance that the source is the Forest Medallion. I have analysed the energy signature and have calibrated the dowsing ability to trace it."

"Dowsing ability?" Link copied, he never heard of such a thing.

Fi nodded. "Using the dowsing ability, I am able to determine the approximate location of people and items of interest. To use the dowsing ability, point your sword outward and move it about your surroundings. When the blade begins to resonate, it indicates the direction of the target."

Link's eyes bulged out in astonishment. "Wow. That will make searching this place a lot easier."

Midna snorted in derision. "If you were able to do this, it would have been nice of you to share it with us before now. You could have saved us a lot of time getting the pieces of the Mirror of Twilight." Link gave her a disapproving look.

The spirit faced the Twili but expressed no emotion. "I sense hostility in your tone and body language," she analysed. "Have I done something to offend you Midna?"

Feeling the glare she was getting from Link, rather than speaking her mind, Midna crossed her arms and looked away. "It's nothing. Let's just find that stupid medallion and get out of here."

With nothing more to say, Fi returned to the Master Sword which Link then drew. As instructed, he pointed the tip of the sword forward. Its blade lit up with a faint violet and the hilt pulsed in his hand. He moved the tip around him, finding that the flashing of the blade and the vibrations changed frequency as he did so.

He continued the sweep until he pointed it at the second door on the left, where the sword began to glow brightly and the handle buzzed like a hive of bees. Link lowered his weapon, causing the vibrations to cease. He began moving towards the door with his teammates following close behind.

The interior of the temple resembled a mansion, with tinted windows, rich velvet carpets and old portraits hanging off the walls. Torches burned at various points which seemed peculiar if the place was meant to have been abandoned. Was there someone still living there or was there another explanation behind the flames?

Link constantly checked the Master Sword to make certain that they were heading in the right direction. Fortunately no monsters dwelled within the temple, so the only obstacles concerning the team were a few ancient traps that were still active. Thanks to Link's acquired talent for exploring however, he was able to lead the others around them with ease.

At one point the Master Sword went off like crazy when Link rechecked their bearings. He assumed that their target was likely in the next room. They opened the stain-glassed door in that direction, after which the team found themselves standing in a grand garden. The grass was green and fresh, flower beds were filled to the brim and beautifully arranged, insects of various species danced around gracefully. The entire area resembled a scene from a painting.

In the center of the garden however was the strangest thing. There stood a tree that was unusually shaped. Its trunk was thinner in some places than others, it only had two branches on either side of it like arms and the top of the tree was odd as well as etched in the bark was the sad face of a girl. Tangled in the tree's twisted roots was the last thing Link expected to see; a skeleton lying down wearing familiar looking armor that was heavily stained with blood.

"Goddesses," he whispered, "it's the Hero's Shade."

Midna turned to him in astonishment. "You mean that ghost who taught you the hidden sword skills? Are you sure?" The Hero's Shade came to Link in a plain that existed outside of the mortal realms, so the Twilight Princess had never seen the deceased warrior herself. Up until then the Twilight Princess had teased him of making up stories to explain random episodes of fainting.

"It's him, I know it," Link affirmed. "I'd recognize that armor anywhere. But what is he doing here?"

Groose stepped closer to the corpse so that he could examine it. There was a hideously large split in the plating that covered the skeleton's side, as if the warrior had taken a swing from something heavy and sharp, perhaps an axe or a greatsword. The wound was definitely fatal. Around the warrior's neck was the chain of a pendent, containing a green disk roughly six centimeters in diameter and bearing a swirling symbol.

The burly Peacekeeper studied the objects before him a few minutes longer before speaking. "I can't be completely certain but I think that this is the Hero of Time, and the tree here could be Saria, the Sage of Forest during his lifetime."

Link and Midna approached the remains, unable to look away. "What happened here?" Midna wondered. "It looks as though the Hero of Time was in a battle but everything around here looks so peaceful."

"I know what happened," Groose stated. "They taught us the Hero of Time's life story in school back on Skyloft." When he looked up he noticed his friend's curious expressions so he continued. "You might know this already, but the Hero of Time was raised by the Kokiri before he set off to save Hyrule from Ganondorf... well, the Ganondorf who lived back then. His best friend at the time was Saria, a Kokiri girl, and during the Hero's quest she became a Sage.

"After the he defeated Ganondorf, the Hero of Time was sent back to the past to relive his lost childhood and hopefully prevent Ganondorf's reign altogether. It didn't really work out and events ended up repeating themselves. As a kid, the Hero then left Hyrule in search for his missing fairy partner while a second version of him fought the Dark Lord again." Groose began scratching his head. "Apparently there were two of him because of some time paradox or something like that. The whole thing kinda goes over my head.

"When the Hero of Time grew into an adult again, peace had returned to Hyrule. The Peacekeepers had been unable to help because there was a ton of other problems going on back then and they didn't have the manpower to confront Ganondorf. The Order was impressed that the guy was able to save the kingdom so they asked him to join them.

"The story doesn't end there though. The Hero of Time had been torn from all of his friends after he was locked in the Sacred Realm for seven years so leaving Hyrule was relatively easy for him. However there was one person that he kept on seeing; his friend Saria. The two of them grew closer and eventually became lovers. Though it broke every rule in the book, the Order allowed it since she was a Sage and was a higher power... sort of. She even gave him the Forest Medallion to keep as a symbol of their love."

Midna butted in. "Wasn't she a little girl though?" she said in disgust. "If you ask me, the Hero of Time had some pretty sick tastes."

Link had to admit, she did have a point. No matter which way you looked at it, the relationship was still disturbing. He felt awkward knowing that the spirit has had the greatest respect for used to be a pervert.

Shock lit up Groose's face and he hurriedly raised his hands in a defensive manner. "No, no, no, it was nothing like that at all, I swear. You see, she was a Sage, so she had a whole heap of special powers. One of them was the ability to change her size and appearance. That way she could match his age whenever she wanted to. I've seen tapestries of those two together and I'll tell you, she was hot."

"Do you mind?" Link scolded, pointing to the tree and bones. "They're right here, remember? Show some respect."

Groose went red with embarrassment. "Uhhh... Sorry. Anyway, things were going good for them for a while until the Hero was sent off to fight in a war. As you can tell, he was wounded badly. Saria was watching and when he went down, she pulled him out of the battle. She knew there was nothing she could do for him so she brought him here to share his final moments. When he died I guess she lost the will to live and turned herself into a tree, maybe so that she could follow him into the afterlife."

"That's so beautiful," Midna said softly, "and sad."

"Yes, such a touching story," an unfamiliar voice chuckled callously. "Now step aside and hand over that medallion."

* * *

Link, Midna and Groose spun around and came face to face with a really flamboyant man. He was slender with grey skin and cold eyes. His hair was as pure white as his lips and tight-fitting clothes, which had diamond patterns cut out of them, exposing milky flesh beneath. He also wore an extravagant blood-red cape that covered his upper body. The stranger was surrounded by a small group of minions, ten in total, all dressed in hooded orange robes with fiery designs. Each of the minions wore a different demon mask, hiding their identities.

Whoever the leader was, he wasn't human. His cruel smile vanished when he saw Link's face and glared with a deep hatred. "You! How are you here sky child, of all places? You should be dead! You're remains eaten by maggots and crumbled into dust!"

He pointed to Groose next. "And you. There is no way that something as pathetic and worthless as you could possibly still be alive after all these millennia."

The creature's ranting gave Link the clues he needed to deduce who he was. "I think you have us confused with someone else. I take it that you're Ghirahim right?" If he was correct, then the people in the robes must be members of the Demon's Flames.

"That's _Demon Lord_ Ghirahim to you, insect!" the demon spat. Suddenly his fury vanished and he started laughing. "Oh how foolish of me, of course it's impossible that you are the same humans who constantly stood in my way. You both look exactly like them though and the resemblance was enough to infuriate me."

Ghirahim then turned to Midna with sharp interest. "My, my, I don't believe I've seen a creature like you before, my dear," he said seductively. "Such beauty for a lesser being and an intriguing level of dark magic coursing through your veins. Siding yourself with weak humans, what a terrible waste of potential. You would do well to join us and help bring the end of this pitiful world." He licked his white lips with a freakishly long tongue.

Midna grimaced at the demon. She drew her rapier and pointed it towards Ghirahim. "No thanks, creep. How did you even find this place?"

Ghirahim gave a snort of disdain and snapped his fingers. One of the cult members moved to the front of the group holding a wooden horn, the same one that belonged to Skull Kid.

"I happened to chance upon this little whelp whilst my followers and I were searching through this cursed forest. When I ordered him to lead us here, he unwisely refused to cooperate. I decided to take the information I needed from his mind by force and ended him when he served no further use to me."

Link's blood ran cold. Skull Kid was dead? The sprite was annoying but he certainly did not deserve that fate. "You monster," he growled, raising his own sword.

The demon lord stared at the Blade of Evil's Bane with a scowl. "So," he sneered, "you possess that damned sword just as _he _did. It makes no difference however; there is no way that you can possibly defeat me. My men and I will be taking that medallion, but in the meantime I will relish in soaking the earth in your blood." With another snap an evil looking sword materialized in his hand which glowed with a dark aura.

"Bring it on," Groose challenged, drawing his own blade.

"The one in green is mine," Ghirahim told his men. "The rest you may do as you wish."

With bloodthirsty cries, the Flames raised their weapons and charged. They split into two factions to flank the Hero's team. Midna and Groose, standing on the outside of their small party, each threw destructive spells at one of the incoming groups before they got too close. One foe on Midna's side went down though the rest had protected themselves with magical shields.

Link focused on his own opponent, who remained where he stood at the far side of the garden. The Demon Lord crouched with his sword pulled back then raced towards the Hero with unnatural speed. Link barely had time to block the incoming blade with his own and held the demon's eye as their swords locked together. Ghirahim then punched Link in the gut with his free hand, winding the Hero and sending him back a few steps.

Link fought for breathe, using his shield to protect himself as he tried to restart his lungs. Ghirahim hacked and hacked at him mercilessly yet the metal shield withstood the assault, albeit barely as parts became bent out of shape. With one last almighty effort, Link managed to successfully inhale sweet oxygen. Able to fight again, he pushed his shield forward to stun his opponent then swung his sword at the Demon Lord's torso.

The sacred blade hit home, knocking Ghirahim backwards however the demon's flesh was not even scratched. The Demon Lord recovered and disappeared in a burst of diamond-shaped lights. Link scanned his surroundings, trying to locate his opponent. A six sense made him spin around and raise his shield to catch Ghirahim's sword. He was too slow to block the attack completely and the black razor edge bit into Link's shoulder. Thankfully the wound was not too deep so the Link was able to keep his shield up.

"Seriously," Link taunted despite how much pain he was in, "do you really think you're the first person to try that on me?" If it had not been for Sarafi's training, Link would have lost his arm or worse. Joining the Peacekeepers just officially became the smartest decision he ever made.

Ghirahim chuckled menacingly at the Hero. "Has anyone tried this before?" He raised his free hand and aimed his palm at Link's face. In a flicker of panic, Link did the first thing that came to mind.

"_Nayru's Love!_" he shouted as fire streamed out of the Demon Lord's hand. A prism of blue light surrounded the Hero, protecting him from the flames as they licked the sides of the ethereal barrier. He slashed at Ghirahim twice then retreated a few steps. Relieved that he had saved himself from the attack, Link looked at his foe and indignantly exclaimed, "Yes."

Ghirahim still did not appear to be injured at all from the battle. He wore no armor, which had Link wondering what the hell was the creature made of to make his so damned invincible? Link raked his brain furiously for a strategy. How was he supposed to beat this guy?

As if in response to his thoughts, the gem on the Master Sword shone brightly. Ghirahim had been in the middle of preparing for another sword dash but froze like a statue. Link thought he could use that chance to strike again, only to find that his body refused to move. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Midna also frozen in the middle of fighting two opponents at once with her sword. Link panicked. What was happening?

'_Master Link_...' Fi's voice echoed in his mind.

Whatever she was going to say, Link interrupted her. '_Fi, what's going on? Why can't I move?_'

'_Do not fear Master, nothing has happened to either you or anyone else in the immediate vicinity._' Her voice was calm and composed, although that was hardly surprising. '_What you experience now is a meeting of our minds. This function accelerates your consciousness and as a result your environment appears to have been slowed to a standstill. However, you will not be able to move your body while we communicate in this fashion._

'_I have information for you regarding your opponent. His name is Ghirahim, he is the servant of the fallen god, Demise, and refers to himself as Demon Lord..._'

'_I know who he is Fi,_' Link reprimanded. '_Just skip to the bit that tells me how to kill him._'

He might have imagined it, but Link thought he could have sensed a minuscule wave of annoyance that did not belong to him. '_I have no information available about how to defeat him permanently, although I am able to provide a strategy that will serve for the current situation._'

'_That's better than nothing,_' Link said. '_Lay it on me._'

'_Ghirahim's skin is like an armor, therefore it is impervious to most attacks,_' Fi explained. '_However, I have analysed that his strength decreases when you attack his chest, despite lack of physical evidence. I recommend searching for openings in his defense and attacking him when possible._'

'_The old "hack-and-slash" tactic,_' Link surmised. '_Simple, effective, love it. Thanks Fi._'

'_You are welcome, Master. I will terminate our connection momentarily. Once this is done you will be vulnerable to attack again so prepare yourself._'

The light from the Master Sword began to die down and slowly the world resumed at its normal pace. Ghirahim charged at Link in a blur but before the demon could strike him, the Hero swung his sword at the last moment. The Demon Lord was stunned when the sacred blade struck his chest. Link followed up with three more slices, forcing Ghirahim back with each hit.

Ghirahim stood there, panting heavily. He held his head in his hands and screamed in pure rage. "I will not be made a mockery by a lowly human child!" The air became electrified with tension as if the demon's fury was radiating outwards.

One of Ghirahim's followers cried out over the battle. "My Lord, I have the medallion." Both Ghirahim and Link turned to see the speaker raise the green disk. Including the man, there were only four cultists still fighting, the rest dead or wounded.

The tension dissipated. The Demon Lord snarled, realizing that his followers were losing. "Men," he shouted, "we have what we came for. There is no reason to linger here. Retreat now." He then looked at Link scornfully. "This is not over child. Mark my words; you will suffer your insolence."

Already the Demon's Flames who were still able had abandoned the fight and ran for the exit. Ghirahim warped to the doorway then turned back to the Hero and his companions. The demon smiled wickedly and thrust both hands towards them.

"_Din's Fire!_"

Midna screamed a warning as a wall of flames exploded outwards from the Demon Lord at a rapid rate. Blinded by intense light and threatened of being burned, Link shielded his eyes with his arm. Screams of cult followers who had not been able to flee filled the air as they were consumed by the ravenous blaze, sickening Link to his stomach.

When he felt no heat, he opened his eyes to see the inferno raging around him. He saw that Midna had protected him and Groose with a barrier. When the fire died down, Midna ended the spell and collapsed from exhaustion. Link hurried to her and wrapped his arms around her. She saved them, he realized, and it was a good thing too as Link would not have had the time to raise his own barrier.

He looked around, Ghirahim was gone and not only that the entire garden was ablaze. Flames blackened the grass and the flowerbed, basking the area in an orange glow. Saria's tree was burning along with the Hero of Time's remains, the exposed cloth around its metal plates catching alight. With Midna's protection gone, Link could feel the intense heat. Smoke made it difficult to breathe and partly obscured his vision.

Groose shook him urgently on the shoulder. "Come on, we have to go after them."

"No," Link protested. "We have to put out the fire. If we don't do it now, who knows how far it will spread. It might put the Kokiri in danger."

Groose grimaced with indecision, switching his gaze back and forth between the door Ghirahim escaped through and the blaze. Finally he gave an exasperated sigh. "Alright, fine." He then stepped away and faced the burning tree. Link took out his Gale Boomerang and pulled back his arm to throw it.

Groose raised his arms to the sky and furrowed his brow. "Get ready," he said. "This one takes a lot of energy so I can only do it once. _Tempest Call!_"

Black clouds gathered above, wind blew fiercely and a crack of thunder boomed from the heavens. Droplets of rain began to fall with a steadily increasing ferocity until it became a heavy torrent. The flames were being extinguished yet some places persisted to burn. Link threw his boomerang at the remaining fire. The artifact's magic snuffed them out with powerful gusts of wind. Within a minute the blaze was out, but there was nothing left of the beautiful garden except for a smoldering stump and the blackened bones of men murdered by their own leader. With its purpose fulfilled, the rain gradually receded to a light drizzle.

They did not have time to mourn the scenery as their enemy was escaping with the medallion. The three Peacekeepers sprinted through the temple, retracing their steps as they pursued Ghirahim and his followers. Groose's strength was almost spent from the weather spell but he toughed it out and managed to keep up. Midna was faring worse so Link had to pull her by the arm to keep her moving. They jumped out of the temple entrance and did not stop running when they hit the ground. Soon they reached the trees where reluctantly they skidded to a halt.

"We'll never find them in that," Midna panted in defeat. "It's over, we lost them."

Link shook his head. "No, we can still find them. We'll just track the medallion like before." He drew the Master Sword and held it out. Nothing. He moved it one side to the next. Still nothing. '_Why isn't the dowsing ability working?_' he wondered frantically. Unless the medallion was out of range, he rationalized. They must have crossed the temple's barrier already and warped away. Link growled in frustration. They had been so close, the Forest Medallion was right there in front of them and they let it slip through their fingers. Now that their enemy was in the woods there was no way to catch them. They failed.

Midna looked over to him and gasped in horror, her exhaustion forgotten. "Link! You're hurt!"

Link eyed the cut on his shoulder briefly. It was bleeding profusely and the agony was terrible now that the adrenaline in his system was fading. "It's nothing," he lied, "don't worry about me."

Midna was not convinced and as she fretted over his wound, he noticed that she was not much better. There were half a dozen nicks on her arms and legs. From experience, Link could tell that they were all shallow but the amount of blood that had spilled from them worried him far more than his own injury.

Groose on the other hand, leaning against a tree trunk to stay standing, had fewer injuries. He uncorked a bottle of red potion and took a swig of it, his face scrunched up in disgust. He passed the bottle to his companions who shared what remained of the foul-tasting medicine. The potion would not close their wounds on its own but it would go a long way in easing their fatigue and recovering from blood loss.

Midna then commanded Link to sit on the rain-soaked ground so that she could bandage his shoulder. As she did so Link chuckled inwardly to himself. He could remember a time when he would have been painted in his own blood yet Midna refused to allow him to rest for even a second. These days, however, she would have a heart attack if she ever saw even the smallest drop of red leaking out of him.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the sound of tiny feet pattering in the mud. Link turned to the direction the sound was coming from and saw a Kokiri girl running towards them, out of breath and terrified. "Link!" she cried. When the little girl reached them she bent over with hands on her knees and panted heavily.

Link moved up to the girl and kneeled down to her eye level. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

The Kokiri did not answer for several moments, still catching her breath. When the girl's breathing slowed, she looked up at him. "Some scary looking people attacked the village. Most of them were wearing masks and were following this creepy guy with a funny cape."

Link's eyes widened. "Is everyone okay?"

The girl nodded. "Everyone ran and hid in the woods. The scary people didn't chase us but they smashed all our houses. As soon as I thought it was safe, I ran here as quick as I could to warn you."

"We saw them," Link told her. "They stole something from the temple. We tried to stop them but they got away."

"Is Saria okay?" the Kokiri asked, clearly worried. Link did not have the heart to tell her that her friend had been dead for decades.

"Saria's fine. I told her to run and find somewhere safe to stay."

The girl smiled in relief. Link tried to hide his guilt. "That's good," she said. "Link, you're going to get those bad guys and teach them a lesson, aren't you?"

Link placed a hand on her shoulder. "I will," he said solemnly. "I'm not going to let them get away with this, I promise."

* * *

**At first I wanted to name the spells 'Din's Fire' and the like something original but after a while I decided you guys might appreciate it more if I stuck to the old names. I realized recently that the notion of Saria dying in this chapter contradicts the existence of the Sage of Forest seen in the game. I couldn't be bothered fixing this so for argument's sake, let's assume that Ganondorf was a different incarnation in OoT and TP and that Saria was replaced before his banishment. This story has been pretty good so far so I think I'm entitled to one loophole.**

**Later,**

**EquinoxWolf**


	11. Chapter 11: Rest and Recovery

**Hello. You know the one thing that bothers me is that I write English in the UK style (using 's' instead of 'z') but this site uses the US style. I feel obligated to spend 30 minutes rereading uploaded chapters and changing the spelling some words to keep the system happy. I wouldn't mind this but I do have other things to do in the day.**

**Anyway, let's move on with the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Rest and Recovery**

The return to Skyloft was depressing and reporting the team's failure to Callum was even more so. After they recounted the events that had occurred in the forest their senior clasped his hands together in front of his face, elbows on the wooden desk, deep in thought. Silence dragged on. Was Callum angry, disappointed? Link did not know, and he dreaded the response he, Midna and Groose would receive.

"So the Demon's Flames have the Forest Medallion," Callum sighed after what seemed an eternity. "Now they only need three more to resurrect Demise."

"I'm sorry Callum," Link said, head hung low. "I should have gone after them straight away. It's my fault."

His superior shook his head. "No, you made the right call Link. We lost the medallion but you saved lives out there. That fire would have wiped out the Kokiri and could have even spread as far as the Ordon Province. Not only that, the three of you went up against Ghirahim himself and all came back alive. That is more than any other team has been capable of. Yes you failed your mission, but you did more than I could have ever asked of you."

His words gave Link some comfort but the Hero still felt terrible. "What can you tell me about your battle with Ghirahim?" Callum inquired. "I want to know every detail."

Link frowned a bit, trying to recall as much as he could about the encounter. "I can tell you this; he's strong and incredibly fast. Not only that, his skin is like some kind of armor. Not even the Master Sword could leave a mark on him."

"And yet he retreated when he took the medallion rather than try to kill you," Callum pointed out.

"I think he knew that there was the chance I could beat him, and he wasn't happy about it. Even though I couldn't cut Ghirahim, I was able to hurt him. I think he had some kind of weak point hidden beneath his clothes though I couldn't see anything like blood that proved it. He didn't even act like he had been wounded after I hit him."

"How do you know you were hurting him then?" Midna asked suspiciously.

Link shifted uncomfortably before answering. "Fi told me. She was able to 'read' Ghirahim and told me what was happening. It's a good thing too. I would have thought that he was unstoppable otherwise." He looked away, not wanting to meet the glare she was likely giving him.

Callum leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "If that's true then perhaps Ghirahim is not as unbeatable as I had earlier believed. Still, based on your description I doubt any one man, even on Skyloft, could hope to defeat him. A weakness doesn't matter if an enemy knows how to defend it. Out of everyone I know, I believe that Link has the best chance against Ghirahim on his own."

The bearded Peacekeeper saw the Hero's still dejected expression. "Our enemy requires three more medallions," he said. "That means that we still have three more chances to stop them. Already we are close to uncovering the location of the next medallion so go, have your wounds checked over and rest." Weakly the team nodded and turned to leave the office, except Link though who lingered, still disappointed.

"Link," the Hero looked up at Callum, "You did well out there. I'm proud of you." Link gave a small smile before following Midna and Groose. He could not explain it but there was something about Callum's opinion that made all the difference to him.

* * *

The first thing Link did was visit the Peacekeeper doctor. In spite of Rovair's insistence, Link waited until both Midna and Groose had their wounds treated first. When it was his turn the Hero endured the agony of having his shoulder cleaned and stitched shut. With the wound sealed, Rovair smeared a sticky ointment over it to speed up the recovery process then dressed the shoulder with a fresh bandage. Throughout the treatment the Labrynnan prince asked Link endless questions regarding his recent adventure, to which he answered as best as he could through gritted teeth.

Upon leaving the clinic, Link discovered that Midna had not waited for him outside. He reasoned that she probably retired to their apartment to rest. It was only natural as they all went through a lot that day. Even though Midna had her own house she never used it, preferring to spend every spare moment with Link. The sun was setting beyond the horizon as Link walked. Along the way he dropped off his damaged shield at the scrap shop for repairs. When he arrived home he found Midna sitting on the couch, her arms and legs wrapped in bandages. She did not respond as he walked in, only staring forward indifferently.

Link removed his scabbard and approached her. "Hey," he said, "how are you feeling?"

"Couldn't be better," she answered flatly, still not looking at him.

Link sensed that something was off. "Is everything okay?" He sat down next to her and put his good arm around her.

"Everything's fine," she replied. There was something about the stiffness of her tone that told Link that the truth was far from it.

"Come on Midna, I can tell something's bothering you."

She finally turned her head to him with a glare. "Did you come up with that one yourself or did your friend Fi tell you?"

Link was taken aback by her question. "What does Fi have to do with this?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?" she snapped.

Link took a second to join the dots with Midna's recent behavior. "Midna, do you have a problem with Fi?" he asked gently.

Midna snorted. "Of course not, why would I? After all, she's absolutely perfect! How could I possibly have a problem with her?"

"Damn it Midna!" He bolted off of the couch and stared down at her. The force behind his voice startled her. "This has to stop. If things between us are going to work you can't keep hiding how you feel from me anymore. I know the past few weeks have been hard for you and I have tried to be there for you as best as I can but this is getting ridiculous. If something's upsetting you need to start talking to me about it. I can't help you if you keep me in the dark like this."

Midna stood up to meet him at eye level, using her height to her advantage. "Fine, do you really want to know what's 'upsetting me' right now? Ever since you first met that stupid spirit, she and you have been acting like the best of friends. What's worse is that when she tells you what to do, you listen to her without even thinking twice!"

Link realized what the problem was right there. "You're jealous of her." His tone was not unkind nor did it bear any accusation.

Midna turned away. 'I feel like she helps you more than I do, and you prefer her over me. How did I help back in the forest? I couldn't have found the medallion that easily and I sure as hell couldn't have worked out how to beat that Ghirahim creep. And now that you can use magic, you don't even need me like you used to anymore, so where does that leave me? I just feel so useless." A single tear rolled down her visible cheek. Link threw his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Midna, I'm so sorry that I made you feel that way," he said as he rubbed her back soothingly. "But believe me, you are not useless. Yes, Fi gives me good advice, but she will never replace you. Just because I listen to someone else it doesn't mean I don't respect your opinion. I love you Midna. You are my invaluable, irreplaceable partner. And no one can ever get in the way of that."

It warmed her heart to hear him say that, yet, "I still feel pretty worthless though," she sniffled into his shoulder.

"There's something that you give me every day that Fi doesn't; the moral support that gets me through the horrors I have to face. It's true that I don't need help to warp or carry around my weapons or any of that other stuff, but that was the most you could really do back when you were an imp. Now that you're back to your true self, you're stronger than you used to be. You're not a sidekick anymore, now you're someone who I know will always have my back in a fight. You're not useless Midna. You don't realize that I need you now more than ever."

That did it. Midna could not hold back anymore and bawled out all her pent up emotion like a torrent. Link said nothing as his shoulder became soaked and let her cry, stroking her and whispering comforting words into her ear. Minutes flew by before she finally settled down. Midna lifted up her head to face him with puffy eyes.

"Better?" he asked.

She gave him a small smile. "Better." He kissed her long and tenderly.

"Link," she said when they broke for air. "Thanks. I'm sorry for making you worry about me. I know now that I shouldn't keep things to myself anymore. I'll try to be better from now on."

He grinned at her. "It's okay. Just remember that you can talk to me about anything. That's what I'm here for."

Midna twitched her intertwined fingers behind his back nervously. "Well... there's one other thing that's been on my mind for a while. I didn't want to bother you with it up until now but..." she trailed off.

"It's that whole thing about leaving home right?" She nodded sadly.

"I just feel bad for hurting my people like that. I mean what kind of leader pretends to jump out of a window because they wanted a different life? It wasn't fair on them and it certainly wasn't fair on my adviser. Poor Eddard, I can't imagine what I put him through."

She paused for a moment. "You know I want nothing more to be here with you but I wish things could have gone differently. Why couldn't I have just told my people that I wanted to give up my throne then run away with you? I wouldn't have had to deceive them like that that way."

Link sighed. "I don't have an answer to that. I wish I did. But what's done is done and we can't change that now."

"I know," she said quietly. "I think talking to that doctor earlier helped me a bit. It's nice to know that there's someone else I can relate with about this. It makes me feel a little less ashamed of myself."

He gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "I'm glad to hear that."

Maintaining their embrace, the two of them laid back down on the couch. Careful to keep her weight away from his injured shoulder, Midna relaxed against Link's warm chest. She listened to his steady heartbeat and his slow breathing as he proceeded to play with a lock of her silky hair. They stayed there for hours simply enjoying the other's presence and sharing the moment together.

* * *

As instructed by Rovair, Link later went to soak in the bath to clean the cut on his shoulder. Midna, having already washed before him, picked through her half of the wardrobe for something to wear. That night they would go out for a romantic dinner together after resolving their earlier dispute. She was searching for something dressy to wear that would also cover up her bandages.

She settled with a relatively casual long-sleeved gown she had brought over from the Twilight Realm. The Twilight Princess could have hardly pulled off a fake suicide if she had packed her belongings as though she was going on vacation. Therefore agents stationed at the palace stole her personal effects after her bedchambers had been cleared out and gave them to Midna later during her Peacekeeper training.

As she slipped into the dress she noticed Link's sword lighting up from where it lay on the bed. From its shining gemstone, the spirit of the Master Sword manifested before the Twili. Fi regarded her with an implacable expression.

"Fi..." Midna started though she had no idea what to say.

"Midna," the spirit spoke in a tone that seemed somehow remorseful, "I wish to apologize if I made you feel threatened in any way. It was not my intention to undermine your relationship with Master Link."

Midna was surprised by this development. She had not thought that perhaps Fi had overheard her argument with Link. Midna now felt deeply ashamed for it.

"No, I should be the one to apologize," Midna shook her head. "I shouldn't have said the things I did about you. You were only doing what you were supposed to, to help Link. I was jealous of how you did it so much better than I ever could. I'm sorry for the way I treated you Fi."

The blue and purple spirit was silent for a moment then said, "My purpose has always been to aid the Hero, nothing more. The bond you share with Link is far stronger than what I have ever experienced with any of my masters. Throughout my entire existence I have watched each of them fall in love and pass from this world. I can never share that kind of connection with any one of my masters, yet I am content with my lot in what you would call life."

Midna stared at her in awe, this was the first time she had ever seen the spirit express any emotion. She had always thought that Fi had been nothing more than a robot, incapable of feeling.

"I'm sure that there must be someone special out there for you," Midna assured. She was not entirely sure if she was right but Midna hoped she could convince Fi that.

Fi turned and stared away into space. "I was not originally designed to feel emotion, but during my mission assisting the Hero of the Sky I began to simulate sentiments such as happiness, sadness and, as I waited between masters, loneliness. I do not fully understand these concepts yet, but I wish to someday."

"Maybe you could spend some time with that Scrapper guy," Midna smiled. "I can tell he likes you. Plus he's as old as you are so you don't have to worry about all that mortality stuff. No offence I mean, you look great for someone thousands of years old."

Fi returned her blank gaze to the Twili and smiled. "Perhaps. I have always experienced a certain level of fondness towards Scrapper. I may be able to learn from him."

"That's the spirit. Maybe you should go see him tonight. Link probably won't even notice you're gone if I have my way," Midna grinned impishly.

Fi said nothing but smiled. Without a word she floated towards the door and passed right through it, giving the Twilight Princess another surprise. Midna quickly looked the other way when she heard the bathroom door open.

Link came out with a towel wrapped around his waist with a clean bandage around his shoulder. "Were you talking to someone out here? I thought I heard something."

"Nope. You're just hearing things," Midna grinned, slightly confusing him.

He let the thought drop and stared at her affectionately. "You look beautiful."

"Tell me something I don't already know," she boasted playfully. "Now hurry up so we can go on our date."

Link did not have many clothes besides his Hero's clothes and the garments he wore back in Ordon so he did not have much difficulty finding something to wear. His green tunic was still battle torn and bloodstained so he had no choice but to where the latter. Midna commented about him needing to buy some new clothes at some point. Ignoring her, he offered his princess his arm and led her out to enjoy their special evening.

* * *

He sat alone in the candlelight, his head full of thoughts, most of them were less than pleasant. Callum had spent many an hour in front of his personal scrying mirror, a far larger one than the kind Peacekeepers used out on missions. Just as countless days before, he had been searching for Brandon with nothing to show for it than a blank screen. It was a pointless endeavor he knew, but it was better than dwelling on his own anxieties.

Brandon had once been Callum's friend, the first he made since joining the Order. The other man had helped him through the rough times when Callum missed his family. Brandon always lent him his ear and would say something that would reassure him. They had fought together, traveled together and joked over pints of ale together. Never had he expected that the friend who had given Callum so much support would turn against the Order they lived for, betraying the values they both kept close to their hearts.

Sooner or later he knew that the Hero of Light would meet the traitor on his mission just as he had with Ghirahim. Callum knew that if he did, then Link would likely fight and kill him if necessary. He disliked the thought but it was better than what would happen should Brandon's plans come to fruit. Even if Link stayed his hand, Brandon's death would be inevitable. He betrayed the Peacekeepers and there was nothing that could save him from the council's wrath. What Brandon sought would lead to the world's destruction and there would be no forgiving that.

His friend's fate was just one of several events Callum dreaded in the near future. Callum had kept many secrets in his life and he felt that one of his darkest would come out into the light. It would be inevitable he knew, it was only a matter of time. He should confess soon while he had the chance. Hopefully doing so would reduce the damage. Yet he was afraid, too much so to bring himself to speak. Callum felt like he was being pulled apart from two sides, the strain making him older than he was.

The Peacekeeper looked at the golden chain he held in his hand, his fingers fidgeting absently. The red stone heart that hung off the chain dangled and spun. "What do you think I should do?" he asked the piece of jewelry. It did not answer him. It never did. Sighing, Callum set the chain aside and cleared a space on his desk. He set down a report he had to finish, hoping that would take his mind off things. His stomach then growled. Callum sighed again and stood up.

"Dinner first, work second, then back to worrying," he said to himself.

* * *

******The main point of this chapter was to explore the conflict between Midna and Fi, both being Link's sidekicks. **I added the bit about Callum at the last minute because I realized that the chapter was extremely short. Callum is a mysterious guy who seems to be holding something back so I decided to play that up a little bit more.

**I can't wait until next week because the next chapter is going to turn this story on its head. I'm going to have so much fun reading your reviews after that. :D**

**Until then,**

**EquinoxWolf**


	12. Chapter 12: Groose Lets Loose

**Hello! It's time for another exciting chapter, yay. I just want to inform you all to read the author's note at the bottom of this chapter as it is fairly important. I reconsidered Link's latest injury from broken ribs at the last minute so if anyone finds something that doesn't quite fit with the chapter's logic, let me know.**

**Wow, my notes are getting shorter.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Groose Lets Loose**

After six days of rest, Link, Midna and Groose were back in fighting form, their wounds healed and Link's shield fully repaired. The best news of all was that the Peacekeepers had finally pinpointed the location of the next medallion. Their next target was the Light Medallion hidden nowhere other than the Temple of Time. In light of their previous failure, the team set out with a new-found determination.

They wasted no time as they warped directly to the ancient ruins in the sacred grove. It was the only way to get there really, with Skull Kid gone there was no hope of navigating the Lost Woods anymore. So far nothing seemed out of place within the ruined temple but who knew whether danger was hiding behind a crumbled stone wall or not. Link drew his sword and scanned the area for any trace of the medallion but with no success.

'_Master_,' Fi spoke in his mind, '_I do not sense the medallion nearby. However it is probable that the Light Medallion was hidden within the temple prior to its collapse, therefore entering the Temple of Time may provide a better result_.'

Midna and Groose stood behind him waiting, ignorant of the spirit's advice. "Anything?" Groose asked.

Link lowered his sword. "Fi can't find the medallion but she says that doesn't mean that it's not here. If we go inside the temple then we can tell for sure if it's actually here or not."

The Hero of Light began walking towards the archway leading to the Master Sword's pedestal. In order to open the Temple of Time he first needed to unlock the door. Link stood before the empty plinth, pointed his sword downwards and thrust its tip into the slot. A heavenly chime rang faintly from behind the Hero. He knew that the door was open once more.

Withdrawing his sword, Link returned to where he left his companions, who were staring in interest at the door frame high up on the other side of the courtyard. After getting their attention he led them up the stone steps to the gateway. The ancient doors opened on their own accord, the other side blinded from view by an intense ethereal light.

Entering the passage, the Peacekeepers found themselves inside a holy, white chamber, completely unlike the overgrown clearing they had just left. The temple has a strange tie to the flow of time itself, Link and Midna both knew, which allowed one to enter it during a period in time when it was still whole. The gateway was protected by a lock that only the Master Sword could open so the Hero was certain that no one else had been through here yet.

Link tried the dowsing function again. The sacred blade began humming as it pointed further in. "Got something," he beamed. He took the lead without hesitation.

Walking the hallowed halls of the temple filled Link with memories of his previous visit. Traps beyond his wildest imagination, the battle with the terrifying Darknut, manipulating stone statues with the Dominion Rod and fighting that horrible giant spider, it all came rushing back to him.

"Remember the last time we were here?" he smiled at Midna.

"I try not to," she shuddered. "All those spiders running around freaked me out."

The Master Sword guided them deeper towards the chamber where they had previously obtained the rod. Monsters still guarded the temple but these were only Armos and Beamos that were designed to protect it. Taking them out was mere child's play with the three Peacekeepers working together.

The continued on, wondering what secret Link and Midna must have missed before, until the sword led them to a dead end. Link looked around the room, remembering fighting the evil knight and almost dying for the umpteenth time. The Master Sword kept humming even though there was no way forward.

"There's nothing here," he said out loud. "Fi are you sure this is the right way?"

The spirit appeared before him. "I am certain Master. I detect that the source of the energy signature that I am reading lies right behind that wall there." She indicated to one side of the chamber.

Midna checked the space over thoroughly before sighing in defeat. "There's nothing. I can't tell if there's any way past this. If there's some secret switch around here, it's pretty well hidden." She was right. Usually there was something out of place like a crack or a button on the floor or even something weird like a crystal that gave some hint on how to proceed, but here there was nothing but a solid wall.

Groose's eyes twinkled and his lips twisted into a crooked grin. "Looks like this is a job for the Groosenator." He removed the cannon mounted on his back, obviously dubbed the Groosenator. He kneeled on one knee and rested the weapon on his opposite shoulder, aiming right at the offending wall. "As the family motto says; if there isn't a smart way through something, blow it up!"

Fi hurriedly turned to the Hero. "Master, I strongly suggest that you and Midna stand well back."

She did not need to explain further as Link quickly pulled Midna far away from the Groosenator's line of fire. When his companions were safely behind him, Groose pulled the trigger of the cannon, which exploded with a deafening boom. Fire erupted from the barrel and punched right through the stone, creating a gaping hole big enough for a man to stand in. Midna used a barrier spell to protect them all from the scattering debris.

Groose stood up as smoke drifted out from the end of his cannon. "Woo! That was fun." He approached the cavity and peered inside. "Hey guys check this out, there's another room in here."

It was true, they found. On the other side was another chamber that was larger than the previous. Stone pillars stood reaching to the high ceiling all along the round room. In the center towered an enormous statue resembling those that stood in other parts of the temple. It held a great stone hammer in its giant hands. Unlike other statues within the temple, this one did not have a hole through its body.

The Peacekeepers walked closer to the colossal figure to get a closer look. Without warning, the statue turned its featureless head down towards them menacingly. Stone grated against stone as it rose its arms high. Link and the others dashed to avoid the falling hammer. The crushing impact shook the chamber violently and sent large chunks of the floor flying.

Link turned to Fi with a panicked expression. "What the heck is that thing?"

The blue and violet spirit stared at the golem indifferently for a few tense seconds. Already it had raised its weapon again, preparing for another attack. "This automaton appears to be some form of guardian protecting the Light Medallion," Fi assessed. "I sense that the medallion is inside its body, most likely acting as a power source."

After dodging another lethal strike, Midna looked at them. "So if we remove it, that thing will stop attacking us?"

"I predict a 70% probability that that conclusion is correct," the spirit replied.

"Then let's do it," Link said as Fi returned to his sword. "Okay, now we need to work out how to get that medallion out. Any ideas?"

"I've got one," Groose shouted. He raised his cannon to the giant and fired. The blast knocked it back a couple of steps but when the smoke cleared there was not even a dent made in the golem's body. Groose swore at the disappointing result.

"Keep trying," Link encouraged as he proceeded to attach bombs to his arrows. When he had a good quantity ready, Link lit and notched one onto his bow then took careful aim. He shot the bomb arrow at the giant's head but the only thing that the attack did was attract its attention to the Hero.

Link had to jump to escape the statue's following attack. "There has to be a weak spot somewhere," he called to the others. He then attempted to convey his thoughts to Fi. '_Can you work out where that thing's armor is the thinnest?' _If they attacked the golem where its exterior was the weakest then they may be able to crack it open before their ammunition ran out.

'_I am able of scan the automaton's body for vulnerabilities,_' she confirmed, '_however it may take a few minutes for me to obtain accurate data._'

He instructed her to do it anyway and shouted to Groose to conserve his ammo until she was done. Midna flew around the giant, attempting to find its weakness herself as she sent one powerful blast of shadow magic after another without achieving anything. The boys tried to help her using their own spells though they lacked the level of power that Midna demonstrated. The guardian seemed to have had enough of being assaulted as it swung its hammer around through the air, hitting Midna and causing her to fall.

"Midna!" Link screamed in horror, watching her limp frame hurtle to the ground.

"I've got her!" Groose shouted. He ran towards her, jumping in order to prevent her from crashing into the unforgiving stone. After a few heart-stopping moments Groose looked towards Link. "She's still conscious, though I think her arm's broken."

Link sighed in relief, glad to know that Midna was still alive. That feeling disappeared however when he saw the guardian turn to finish off his love. He quickly notched another live arrow and shot it in the pit of its elbow. The stone limb slacked from the explosion, causing the raising hammer to fall again to its feet, safely away from Midna and Groose.

The giant went to pick up its fallen weapon but the damage Link inflicted on the joint of its now cracked and useless arm made it impossible to lift the immensely heavy weapon. Giving up on the hopeless effort, the guardian leaned down towards the Hero then swiped him with its good hand, catching Link and sending him flying across the room. He tried to pick himself up when his leg flared up in pain. He knew from experience that it was broken.

If the golem had a face then it may have worn an expression of triumph. It clenched its hand into a threatening fist and raised it to end the Hero. Link stared up in fear, there was no way for him to escape in time unless he... Yes, that might work. Link focused as best as he could within the little time he had left.

"_Farore's Wind!_" In a whirlwind the Hero vanished just as the gigantic fist came down, leaving a crater in his place. Link reappeared behind the behemoth, sitting next to Midna and Groose. His leg still hurt like hell but he was alive, for now.

At that moment he felt Fi's presence in his mind. '_Master, I have completed my analysis. I have found that the automaton's shell is the least dense around its power source, located on the chest. However, I predict a 23% chance that you will be able to penetrate it with your bombs alone. Combining the power of your teammates' attacks with your own will perhaps prove more successful._'

Link thanked her quickly then looked to his friends next to him. "Fi found a weak point on its chest but we need to attack it at the same time for us to punch through it." He eyed Midna with concern. "Can you still fight?"

She tried to stand up, using Groose for support. "I think I can manage." She held her injured left arm and winced. "What about you?"

Link hissed at another jolt of pain. "I'm fine but I can't walk. I don't know how long we can keep this up so we need to finish this now." His companions nodded in unison. Groose moved away from Midna once she was standing more steadily so that he could be free to aim his cannon.

The golem had been confused when Link suddenly disappeared earlier and it been slowly searching the room for its missing enemy. As it turned around at a snail's pace, Link drew another bomb arrow. "Wait for my signal," he told the others.

The golem was now fully facing the three intruders and raised its fist to squash them all. Link tried to take careful aim despite the torment he was receiving from his injury. "Now!" he shouted and released the drawstring. An explosion roared from the Groosenator whilst Midna, using one arm, sent forth all the magical energy she could muster in a storm of black lightning. All three attacks collided with the giant at once with enough force to knock it off of its feet. The ground quaked from the impact of the falling body.

After a false moment of hope the behemoth began to stand up again. Though all previous efforts had been in vain, this time the guardian's torso was lined with multiple tiny fractures highlighted by a golden glow emanating from within. Groose fired another shot at the statue, decimating the rest of the broken casing. Trickles of light became a mighty flood as the golem's chest opened wide.

Within the light, in the place of the giant's heart Link could make out the shape of something small and round, the golem's power source. Link discarded his bow and equipped one of his clawshots. He aimed at the shining object and pulled the trigger of the item's launch mechanism, causing the steel talons to shoot out. When they grabbed hold of the Hero's target, Link released the trigger to retract the device's chain. With its battery yanked out, the statue's movements slowed until it stopped completely, slumping lifelessly before the Peacekeepers.

A smile broke out on Link's lips as he looked down at the prize in his hand, a golden disk just too big for him to wrap his fingers around. On the disk's face were three triangles with points joined at the centre. Three circles evenly dotted the space between the triangles. The Light Medallion shone with a divine light that warmed the Hero to his very core.

"We've got it," he beamed. He held it out for Midna and Groose to see, who each grinned as widely as he did. All smiles were wiped away when the sound of clapping filled the chamber.

"Bravo. That was very impressive indeed." Link's head snapped towards the speaker, expecting it to be Ghirahim. It was not but there was a man walking through the ruined wall they had entered through earlier, still clapping.

He was tall and well-muscled, though not what one would call bulky. He wore the same robes as the Demon's Flames, but unlike the others this man had is hood down and his face was visible. Long, wavy brown hair draped partially over one hazel eye. The man smiled at them though there was little about it that was friendly.

"Brandon," Groose spat venomously. '_So this is Brandon_,' Link thought, '_the traitor who is behind all of this_.'

"Hello Groose." Brandon spoke as if he had just bumped into a friend in the street. "How is your grandfather these days?"

"Doing great, especially since I'm going to give him your backstabbing head as a present," he snarled in reply. Groose drew his sword, charging at the betrayer with the intent to kill. Brandon made no move in self-defense until the young Peacekeeper was almost upon him. He shot his hand forward at Groose, striking him with a bolt of energy. Groose was thrown back through the air, slamming into the floor right where he had started from.

"Groose!" Midna cried out. He groaned in pain but otherwise he was alright.

Brandon proceeded towards them. "You should be more concerned about yourself, girl. I knew that waiting for you to open the temple and following you would make things easier. Let the children playing Peacekeeper locate the medallion and take care of its guardian then make my appearance when my adversaries has worn themselves out. And the only other help I required was directions from my partner, Ghirahim."

He held out his upturned palm expectantly. "Now I'll be taking that medallion if you don't mind."

Link glared up defiantly from where he sat. "There's no way in hell I'm giving this to you," he said, holding up the Light Medallion.

A slight frown creased Brandon's face. "That was not a request. _Thunder Strike!_" Another burst of lightning flew from his hand and struck Link squarely in the chest. His body convulsed as electricity coursed painfully through his already exhausted body.

In a screaming fury, Midna sent a beam of magic at Brandon only for him to block it easily with a shielding spell. She collapsed in fatigue, having spent so much of her energy already. She could do nothing as the traitor picked up the medallion that Link had dropped. As he made his departure, Link managed to regain some control of his body.

"Where do you think you're going?" Link struggled to sit up. "Get back here."

"I suggest you stay put," the traitor said with his back to the Hero. "You are in no fight state to fight, nor stand for that matter." Cursing silently, Link knew he was right, he could not even gather the strength to lift himself higher much less take back the medallion by force.

"You won't get away with this," the Hero said as he tried with great difficulty to stay upright. "I will stop you, you and Ghirahim both."

Brandon turned back to look at him with a condescending chuckle. "You are just as idealistic as your father, boy. You may try to impede our plans but Demise will rise again and soon my vision of a perfect world will be realized."

Link could not believe what he had just heard. "What do you know about my father?"

The former Peacekeeper faced him fully, genuinely surprised. "You mean he never told you?" He gave a short bark of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Link growled.

"Oh it's nothing really. It's simply that after witnessing your previous escapades and having you join the Peacekeeper Order, I would have thought that Callum would have wanted to claim his own son."

Link froze in shock, unable to think or speak. "You really did not know?" Brandon said. "Well then, you two will certainly have something interesting to talk about when you return to Skyloft." He continued towards the exit, laughing quietly as he went. "Farewell Hero, until we meet again. Give Callum my regards."

"Link...?" Midna said hesitantly. He gave no response, merely sat as still and empty as the powerless golem, while he allowed another medallion to slip away from him.

* * *

**And here's our next big cliffhanger. Believe it or not, this turn of events is not something I just came up with, I've been building up to this moment since the beginning. Now that we know Callum's secret, go back to chapter 1 and reread the story. Pay close attention to how Callum is described, what he does, what he says and, just as importantly, what he doesn't say. I swear this puts everything into a completely different context and you will be wondering how you didn't pick up on it sooner.**

**Have fun,**

**EquinoxWolf**


	13. Chapter 13: Hot Under the Collar

**Last time our heroes went to the Temple of Time to search for the second medallion. After defeating the relic's guardian and sustaining serious injuries, the threesome were confronted by the defected Peacekeeper Brandon. Brandon stole the Light Medallion and revealed to Link that Callum is his long-lost father. How will Link react when he returns to Skyloft?**

**Thought I'd put in this little reminder for dramatic purposes. I'm a little disappointed about the number of reviews I got from the last chapter although what I did get was interesting in itself. Ah well, still got plenty of other chances to wow the audience so all in good time. What actually impressed me was that more people are interested in my old Cursed by Shadow idea.**

**I will warn you that this chapter starts of with some changing of perspectives so don't assume that this is in one character's point of view.**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Hot Under the Collar**

Midna was extremely worried as they returned to Skyloft. Link had not spoken a word since their encounter with the Peacekeeper traitor, Brandon. The shock made him look lifeless, his face blank and he gave no response whatsoever when Midna tried to snap him out of his daze. She had to help him walk out of the temple because of his broken leg, but he did not speak to her the entire time. His silence scared her, and she was even more fearful of what Link would do the next time he saw Callum.

She did not know that much about Link's parents, only what little he told her regarding his mother. It was the one subject he avoided discussing with her about. All she knew what that his mother raised him on her own since Link was a toddler and that she died from a strange illness when he was barely a teenager. Midna had never heard him speak of his father, and judging from Link's reaction to discovering that his father was none other than Callum, whatever there was to talk about was not good.

After touching ground on the island above the clouds, they found the aforementioned Peacekeeper sitting on a bench next to the fountain, nose buried within the pages of a book. Stirred by the sound of approaching footsteps, Callum gazed up at Link and his two companions. He was about to greet them when he noticed with a concerned frown that they were all injured and their expressions troubled, Link's more so than the others.

"What happened out there?" he asked. "Did you find the Light Medallion?"

The Hero looked up for the first time since leaving the Temple of Time, his face filled with dark quality that was unusual for him. "We found it alright," he said acerbically, "but the minute we got our hands on it we lost it to your old pal Brandon."

Callum's eyes flashed with concern. "You met Brandon?" He closed his book and pocketed it away.

"You bet. And you know, he said some very interesting things back there... LIKE HOW YOU'RE MY FATHER!" The Hero's sudden outburst startled Midna and Groose along with every other Peacekeeper agent in the area, causing them to turn to the display nearby. Callum on the other hand simply sat there in silence.

"What? Got nothing to say?" Link growled. "So it's true then, when were you planning on telling me?!"

Callum closed his eyes and let out a long, resigned sigh. He muttered "_Silent Realm_," and the space around the group began to shimmer. Link knew that this particular spell created a small zone where no sound could be heard from the outside. It was primarily used by agents working undercover who needed to exchange information without being eavesdropped on. Obviously the older man did not want this conversation to be made public.

"Yes, it's true." He looked up at the Hero solemnly. "I am your father Link. I wanted to tell you for some time now but I could never find the courage to do so."

Link's glared at the man before him with greater intensity. How had he not noticed it before? They had the same eyes. Their hair was the same shabby texture. Hell, they were the same bloody height. All of the signs were right in front of him and he had been too blind to see them. "You left Mom and me alone. YOU ABANDONED US!"

Another sad sigh. "I didn't have a choice Link, believe me. I left in order to protect you."

"Riiight, what exactly would you have needed to protect us from?" Link scoffed.

Callum rubbed his eyes tiredly then returned to look at his son. "Sixteen years ago, I was delivering the village's tribute to the royal family but my visit to Hyrule Castle was more eventful than I had been expecting. The king had just died, leaving Princess Zelda, who was no more than three years old, as his only heir. A group of corrupt nobles had conspired to take the throne and part of their plan involved eliminating the princess, a mere child for Nayru's sake!

"While I was there I witnessed something I shouldn't have and the bastards wanted me dead for it. I would be too if it hadn't been for the Peacekeepers who were keeping watch over the castle. I helped them protect Zelda and reveal the conspirators' plot so that they would be arrested. Unfortunately my involvement gave me powerful enemies who would have gone out of their way to get revenge for what I did to them. I was afraid for you and your mother's safety so I had to distance myself from you. If I did that then they would have no use for harming either of you to get to me."

"You didn't have to leave us behind," Link said, still angry. "You could have taken us with you."

"I know that, that was the first thing I wanted to do. But Ordon Village was the only home your mother knew and she was so happy there, I couldn't just take her away from there because of something that I did."

"Where were you when Mom got sick?" Link growled, his voice barely a whisper. "Where were you when she _died_?"

Callum shot up to his feet and glared Link furiously in the eye. "Don't you dare judge me about that! I loved your mother dearly and I meant every word I said when we stood before her grave. It broke my heart to leave both of you but I had to. When I found out she was ill I wanted nothing more than to be with her by her side. I was willing to break the oath I made when I became a Peacekeeper so that I could sit next to my wife during her final days. I was so willing that the council gave the order to lock me in a cell to stop me from going.

"It was three months before I finally calmed down enough to be released. I went to the council and asked, no, I begged them to let me bring you here so that you wouldn't have to be alone. But by that time it was too late, you had made yourself a life in Ordon and I could hardly return claiming to be your father then take you away from there. Not only that, I was forbidden to be within a thousand miles of Hyrule so that I would never be tempted to try and contact you. When I heard that the Order was considering you as a potential agent I fought to be the one to give you the offer myself."

Link listened carefully, his face unreadable. He closed his eyes and turned his head away from Callum. "Even if I could believe that story, there's no way you can expect me to forgive you. It's impossible to me to believe that after the way you left Mom and I behind you actually still cared about us."

Callum's face burned red with rage. "You think I didn't care? If it wasn't for me your precious girlfriend wouldn't even be on this goddess-forsaken rock!" Link head snapped towards him in absolute shock as Callum continued. Midna's eyes grew wide as well.

"After your battle against Ganondorf, that state of depression you fell in caused you to lose your will to fight, making you less desirable to the Order. But when Brandon released Ghirahim the council decided that they needed you regardless of your emotional state. They wanted you and only you. Midna was supposed to stay in her realm to lead the Twili as their princess. The government in the Twilight Realm was unstable enough because of Zant, it did not need its rightful ruler to disappear as well.

"The council assumed that eventually you would get over your depression but only I could see that you weren't going to and I knew why. I did everything I could to get Midna considered as an agent. I recommended her personally. I called in favours to get her approved and now owe a few of them myself. The only reason why you can sleep with her in your arms every single night is because of me. So don't think for a second that I don't care about you."

Link did not response. He did not know how to. He was unable to discern what he was feeling at that moment, his emotions were all a jumbled mess twisting inside him. He muttered something under his breath and vanished in a gust of wind.

"Link!" Midna called out. She gave Callum a sad look. "I'll try to talk to him," she said before hurrying away to search for the angry Hero.

Callum sank back into the bench and combed his fingers through his hair. He looked up at Groose who had stood uneasily throughout the row. "I'm sorry you had to see that Groose."

The younger man shook his head. "It's okay Callum, really. I'm just a little shocked about it all though. I never expected... you know..."

"I do," he sighed once more. "I should have told him sooner. He should not have found out like this. Now I'm afraid I've lost him a second time." Callum buried his face into his hands.

Groose placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Hey come on, I'm sure Link will get over sooner or later. He can't stay mad forever."

"I can only pray that you're right."

* * *

Midna was walking back home after a meeting with the Peacekeeper council regarding their team's performance with the Demon's Flames mission. Groose and Callum attended as well but not Link, he stubbornly refused to go as he was still furious with Callum. She had tried all she could to get Link to listen to her and forgive his father but so far nothing has worked.

Her arm itched terribly under its cast. Despite the doctor's orders she scratched at it without managing to ease her torment. Rovair was as brilliant as he claimed to be. He examined Midna's arm, saying that there was no lasting damage. Normally an injury like hers would take close to two months to heal on its own, but with Rovair's combination of potions and medical magic the healing period had been reduced to less than a third of that. For that Midna was grateful as she doubted she could last any longer with the unbearable itch that came with wearing a cast.

She walked through her front door and found Link lying on the bed exactly where she had left him and where he had been for most of the past week, brooding. Luckily for him he had only received a minor fracture to his fibula from the battle with the giant golem, now fully healed thanks once again to Rovair.

Link looked away from the ceiling to her as the door closed behind her. "What's with the new shirt?" Midna looked down at her red tunic, which drastically contrasted with her usual black attire.

"It's a Goron tunic. It's supposed to protect you from extreme heat." She saw the confused look in his eyes so she elaborated. "They've worked out that one of the medallions is hidden in this place called the Fire Sanctuary. Funnily enough the place is sitting right in the middle of an active volcano. I've got another tunic for you as well."

A neatly folded crimson shirt materialised in her hand. She placed it on the bed next to Link. Midna stood in front of him, a prolonged silence quickly becoming awkward. Link noticed the anxiety in her body language.

"What's the matter?" he asked, moving into a sitting position on the mattress.

Midna was reluctant to tell him but she knew she had to. "You really should have gone to the meeting earlier," she started. "Since we failed to get the Forest and the Light Medallions, the council is beginning to doubt our ability to protect the last two. They've decided that we need a veteran agent to take charge when we go out into the field from now on." When she trailed off Link gestured for her to continue.

"Link... They chose Callum." With a growl of frustration and disbelief, Link threw himself onto his back again.

"Link please, stop it. I know you're angry with him and you have every right to be, but you've hardly left this room the past week and it's not healthy. Can't you please find it in your heart to forgive him just a little?" she begged.

He got up from the bed and looked at her hotly. "How can you expect me to ever forgive him? He left me and my mother sixteen years ago to save his own skin. If he really felt ashamed of himself then he had an entire month already to say something. But no, ever since he came crawling back to Ordon he has been lying right to my face. If he's coming along then I'm staying right here." Midna flinched from his rant. Link hardly ever showed anger like this, and rarer still did he ever direct it at her.

"And you're not going either," he told her. "There's no way I'm letting you go off with him, especially when your arm's broken."

Hearing that made Midna's blood boil. "There's no way you're _letting_ me? I don't ever recall saying that you could tell me what to do," she growled. "I might have an arm in a sling but I can still fight and I'm not going to let it get in the way of me doing my duty. You should try and follow the same principle, oh great Hero."

He hesitated for a second before speaking again. "Maybe I can't stop you from going but how can I trust that you'll be safe with him or that you'll come back at all?"

"The answer is simple; you stop being a stubborn idiot, put that tunic on and come with us," she countered. He scoffed and turned away.

"Link, how is what Callum did any different from when I broke the Mirror?" He turned his head back to her, as shocked as Midna was that she used that argument. When he gave no answer, Midna put her free hand on his arm and spoke in a quieter, gentler tone of voice.

"I agree with you that what he did was wrong but Callum's the reason we're together again and I'm grateful for that. He's your father Link and you shouldn't hold a grudge against him, otherwise you may regret it later. Believe me, I've been there." All anger left his eyes to be replaced by surprise and curiosity. Midna took a deep breath before continuing.

"Before my father died... we had a fight. I don't really remember how it all started though I do remember that eventually we began arguing about me becoming queen after him. He said that there was no way I was ready to take the throne, that I was too selfish to put the Twili before myself as a true ruler should. I... I got angry and... I said that I hated him." Link's eyes grew wide. He wrapped his arms around her, unable to think of anything to say. But Midna's story was not over.

"I locked myself in my room for days, just like you are now. Then one day my father went out hunting, but something went horribly wrong." Her body began to shake. "The animal they were tracking attacked and Father was wounded badly. He died before they could get him back to the palace." She felt his shirt grow wet from her tears. "Can you imagine how I felt when I heard about it? The last thing I said to him was that I hated him, what kind of monster does that make me? All of a sudden I wanted to go back in time or bring him back from the dead or anything just so that I could tell him I was sorry."

She raised her head, letting him see the wetness running down her cheeks. "I don't want you to make the same mistake I did Link. I can't bring my father back but you still have a chance to be with yours."

Link cast his eyes downwards and shaking his head, saying nothing. For a long time Midna waited for him to change his mind until she accepted that he was not going to. She freed herself from the embrace and began to leave. Holding the doorknob, she looked back to him

"You're supposed to be the Hero," she said sadly. "We need you to start acting like one." Without another word she left.

Midna kept half-expecting Link to come running after her though to her disappointment she was still alone when she arrived at the rookery. Callum and Groose were preparing their loftwings for the journey, both of them wearing red Goron tunics. Midna's black bird was already primed to go, courtesy of the men. They looked at her expectantly as she approached.

She sighed. "Link's not coming."

Tiredly, Callum ran a hand through his hair. The constant weariness from past week made him look ancient. Now that Midna was aware of it, she could see the resemblance between the Peacekeeper and his son. Midna felt like a fool for not making the connection sooner, perhaps they could have avoided all of this if she had.

"I guess it cannot be helped," he said. "We will have to go without him. We cannot afford to lose any more of the medallions."

"Are you sure?" Groose asked. "Without the Master Sword, we're going to have a harder time finding it."

"We will have to make do on our own," Callum replied. "Remember that we're Peacekeepers and we've been exploring ancient temples without the Hero's help for generations."

Hearts heavy, the three agents mounted their loftwings. Storm clouds were gathering in the far west, reflecting their sadness. Even the birds were acting gloomy, perhaps because of their missing crimson friend. But now was not the time for regret or sorrow. The Peacekeepers had a job to do and nothing was going to stop them from doing it.

* * *

Getting to the Fire Sanctuary was far from easy. The intense heat of the volcanic region and the ashy smog spewing from the mountain tops made it too dangerous for the loftwings to get close to the temple. Therefore Midna, Groose and Callum landed near the foot of the moutains where the air was clean and cool enough for the giant birds. Unfortunately this meant that the group had to hike the rest of the way.

Even with the Goron tunics protecting them, the heat was stifling. Lava streamed freely down the mountains, collecting into a ravine of death. Jets of hot steam and poisonous sulphur sprayed out at occasional intervals, requiring the group to watch out for potential hazards. The three spoke little along the way, providing little distraction from the exhausting trek. Callum would regularly check a map of the region to be sure that they were going in the right direction.

Hours passed before they began to ascend the volcano their destination resided in. Every now and then they would see the remains of a long dead tree, blackened and frail from the harsh environment. Midna and Groose's spirits lifted when they climbed up to an ancient temple built right into the mountainside, only to be brought back down when Callum told them it was the wrong place and that they still had a far distance left to travel.

It seemed that the higher they climbed, the hotter it got. When they entered a cave with trickles of molten rock coursing through the walls the temperature shot up dramatically. Despite their protective clothing each of them was sweating madly, every breath becoming a challenge in itself. Seeing light coming from an opening on the far side of the cavern, the Peacekeepers made their way over, jumping from stone to stone cross rivers of magma.

The hole led them back outside where it felt incredibly cooler with the wind blowing around them. Nearby was a spring of crystal clear water. Checking that it was safe to drink, the humans and the Twili drank their fill and splashed themselves to cool off. Refilling their canteens, they returned to the scorching cavern to resume their journey. They did not go far however as their way was blocked by a wall of fire. The Goron tunics were designed to resist heat but not burning flames so there was no safe way forward.

"Can we shield ourselves and walk on through?" Groose asked as Callum examined the trap.

"Could do," the senior agent reasoned, "but with defences like these I prefer to be a little more cautious."

Callum pulled out a scrap piece of paper from his pocket and held it before him. The volcanic heat began to dry out the parchment almost immediately. With little effort, Callum made the shrivelling piece levitate above his palm and surrounded it with a shimmering barrier, then sent it towards the flames. At first it appeared that the protective spell would hold but suddenly the fire exploded around the paper in a rage. When the blaze settled there was no sign of Callum's test subject.

The older man scratched his beard in contemplation. "Hmmm. Lucky that wasn't one of us."

"What just happened?" Midna asked, surprised. "Can we go through or not?"

"I don't think so, not like this anyway," Callum answered. "Apparently this is no ordinary fire. It seems to consume magical energy like fuel. If we were to walk through that our shields would be burned away along with us next."

"So what? We've come all this way just to turn back now?" the Twilight Princess complained.

"Not necessarily. The Hero of the Sky explored the Fire Sanctuary himself and consequently had crossed this particular trap as well. There is definitely a trick to this and I believe I see the key to our puzzle." Callum pointed to a statue protruding out of the wall of the cavern nearby, resembling a frog with its huge mouth opened wide.

"I seem to recall reading something about the Hero's journey here," Callum said as he took a closer look at the odd device. "I believed he filled the frog's mouth with something. Was it dirt... no, water. Yes, water quenched the gatekeeper's thirst to clear the way, I remember."

He took out his canteen and emptied the contents into the statue's gaping maw. As if it were alive, the frog closed its lips. Within seconds the fire wall shrank down until nothing remained but a line of holes in the floor. The sense of triumph from overcoming the obstacle was short-lived although as not much further down the tunnel was a second trap, exactly like the one they had just deactivated. The Peacekeepers did not waste their time by expressing their frustration. Midna warped right in front of the second frog and filled its belly with her own canteen.

Beyond the second diminished wall of fire the cavern opened up again to the outside, this time however in the middle of the volcano's crater. A single natural bridge of stone spanned the lake of lava below, leading to an impressively built temple. Midna had to wonder who would have gone through all the trouble to build such a design over a boiling lake of magma. She would have asked Link what he thought had he been standing next to her. She sighed. He would have loved to see this place.

But as though it was the goddesses' mission to make their lives difficult, the temple's entrance was blocked by another, larger, fire trap. It too had a frog statue designed to shut off the flames although this one was far larger than the previous and, as if it was not annoying enough, hung out of reach above the entrance.

"Great," Midna grumbled. "What are we going to do now? I doubt we can fill that thing up with our little canteens."

"We could try Tempest Call," Groose suggested. "Some heavy rain would definitely do the trick."

The senior Peacekeeper shook his head. "Bad idea. If we create a storm here then we won't just be filling the frog statue, we'll also fill up the entire crater as well. That much water pouring onto lava will create a lot of hot steam and I would rather not be caught in all that, thank you very much. I have a better solution though."

Callum pulled out his scrying mirror and gazed into it. "This is Callum reporting in. We've reached the Fire Sanctuary but we can't get in because of one of its defensive traps. I need you to send Scrapper over here with a large amount of water, about a tub-full should do it."

The officer on the receiving end of the communication line confirmed the request and told the team that the ancient robot would be there within the hour. Terminating the conversation, Callum returned the mirror back into his pocket.

"So what do we do until Scapper shows up?" Groose asked.

"For the most part, we wait," Callum replied. "But before that I'm going back to that spring to refill my canteen. This heat's unbearable."

* * *

'_What the hell was Midna thinking, going off with that bastard, Callum? Why does she continue to trust that good-for-nothing liar?_' Link brooded as he paced around the room for the thousandth time in Din knows how long. '_She's still injured. What if something happens to her? I should have gone with her._'

'_No._' The resentful side of him protested. '_There is absolutely no way that I'm going to work with that slime ball. How can Midna expect me just to forgive him after all that he's done?_' Thinking about his beloved again reawakened his more concerned self. '_Goddesses, what if they have to fight something dangerous and Midna gets killed?_' He shook his head. '_Don't be ridiculous. Groose is with her. He'll protect her, I know it._'

This emotional battle repeated itself in Link's head ever since Midna left a few hours ago. He tried to stop thinking about it but his eyes would be drawn to the red tunic that she left on the bed, reminding him of where she was thus triggering another round of self-debating. He decided that he had enough and went to hide the wretched clothing where he would not see it. When he picked it up he stopped, staring at it. It was as though the garment was the source of this guilt and being this close to it made his internal struggle all the harder.

He let out a frustrated growl, clenching the tunic tightly in his hand. "Damn it," he cursed. He had to go after Midna, to make sure that she was safe. And maybe, he was still not one-hundred per cent sure yet, she was right. He was the Hero Chosen by the Goddesses and it was his responsibility to protect the world regardless of who he had to work with to do it, even if it was his two-faced father. Link threw off his green tunic and replaced it with the red one then charged out of the front door.

As he ran Fi revealed herself, flying beside him. "Master, I would like to warn you that if you wish to fly to the Fire Sanctuary via loftwing then your chances of catching up with Midna and the rest of the retrieval group quickly are minimal."

The Hero looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Your loftwing will not be able to fly within the volcanic region therefore you would have to make the rest of the way on foot. As they already have a head start of several hours, it is logically impossible for you reach them unless we find transport that can withstand the region's conditions."

Link skidded to a halt. "Can I warp there?"

"As you do not know where exactly the sanctuary is, that method would be ineffective and potentially dangerous on the off-chance that you re-materialize within fifty miles of it. I apologize Master, but I strongly recommend finding a different solution."

"Like what?" he almost demanded. Then a strange sound caught his attention. He turned to find that the noise belonged to the propeller of Scrapper, who was coming straight for them. '_Damn it_,' Link thought, '_I don't have time to deal with this._'

"Hi Mistress Fi," the robot greeted happily. "Hello Mister Shortpants," he then said more flatly.

"What do you want Scrapper?" Link demanded irritably.

The robot eyed him with disdain. "Nothing with you greeny, whizzt. I just came back from delivering a HUGE tank of water to this temple in the middle of a volcano. The same place I did that all those millennia ago, remember Mistress Fi, ZRRPT-FOOSH?!"

Link's eyes widened. "You were at the Fire Sanctuary? Was Midna and Groose there? How long ago was this?"

"That's right. Carrying all that water was a tough job but unlike some people, I never shirk my work, zzzzt! As for those redheads of yours, yeah I saw them, about half an hour ago actually."

Link was glad to hear that Midna was alright, but if she was already inside the temple then she was that much closer to whatever danger was protecting the medallion she and the others were after. An idea was beginning to form in his mind though.

"Hey Scrapper." The tiny robot looked at him. "Do you think you can carry me all the way to the sanctuary you were just at? It's an emergency."

At hearing the request, Scrapper began buzzing around the air erratically. "Are you serious, BZZRT?!" he screamed with his tinny voice. "Do I look like a wagon to you? Uh uh, no way." The robot crossed the arcs of electricity that were its arms huffily.

Link growled. Here he was asking nicely for help when he needed it and this piece of junk was being uncooperative. He was about to try a more forceful approach when Fi floated in front of him.

"Please Scrapper," she begged him. "We need your help. There is no one else that we can turn to."

The Hero could not belief what he was seeing. If robots could blush then Scrapper's face would have turned a brighter shade, his segregated hands covered his scarlet features bashfully.

"Oh all right. I'll do it for you Mistress Fi." He then grabbed Link abruptly by the torso. "Hold still Mister Shortpants. If I drop you it's going to be a long way down, vrrrrrrt-CHONK!" Scrapper then flew straight up, lifting the Hero of Light into the air before moving in a more horizontal direction.

Seeing nothing but clouds beneath his feet was enough to terrify Link. Despite his fear, he managed to head his carrier's warning. After ten minutes with no sign of the Hero slipping from the robot's grip, Link felt calm enough to extend his mind to Fi's.

'_How did you know that would work?_' He asked, completely impressed. He could not see her as she had returned to her vessel yet he could sense a wave of pride coming from her.

'_I learned that trick from centuries of observing beautiful women who requested the help of my previous masters. As I recall, there was never an instance in which one of your ancestors ever said no to such behavior You, evidently, are no exception to this phenomenon._'

He would have looked at her perplexedly if he could see her. Fortunately there was no one to see the incredulous expression on his face, not even Scrapper who was paying attention only to where he was going.

'_I don't just agree to do anything a pretty girl asks me to,_' he protested.

'_That is incorrect Master. There is significant evidence to prove my analysis. First example; you escorted Prince Ralis of the Zora when asked Ilia without reward._'

'_Of course I did. Ilia was my friend and I could hardly have left Ralis to die._'

'_Second example; you helped Midna locate the Mirror of Twilight and reassemble its fragments so that she could return to her world, again without reward._'

'_We had to in order to find and stop Zant! Besides, I would do anything for Midna because she's my _best _friend and I love her._'

'_Third example;_' the spirit continued, '_you collected golden bugs for the one named Agitha. This activity was not essential to your quest nor was it a matter of life or death._'

That one caught Link off guard. '_She was paying good money for those bugs._' he argued after fumbling for a better case. But with a sigh he knew that what Fi was saying was true. That was a pointless task that he really would not have done if anyone else had asked him. Rather than admit defeat, he ended the psychic conversation and tried to focus on what he was going to do once he reached the Fire Sanctuary. At the back of his mind though, he could feel his other-worldly companion radiating an annoying smugness for her victory.

* * *

**I had to mash together two chapters again as one would have been too short. Unfortunately I had to remove a scene to shorten the resulting length of it. It's a shame though as it would have been about Brandon and Ghirahim and their fragile alliance. Oh well, I can do without it.**

**Later,  
**

**EquinoxWolf**


	14. Chapter 14: Blaze of Glory

**Hello all. I have wonderful news to share. I have finally began writing my next story, Forever Together, originally by Magic Basher54986. Hopefully I will have it finished by the end of the summer (or winter for those of you in the northern hemisphere) at which point I will begin posting.**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Blaze of Glory**

The interior of the sanctuary was incredible both in terms of grandeur and temperature. Rivers of molten rock flowed within many of the rooms making exploring appear impossible without the assistance of magic. A curious sight was the odd fruit that grew bountifully even inside rooms completely without sunlight, growing as though they received energy from the light emitted from the lava nearby. Picking one resulted in its thick flesh peeling back to expose an orb of cool water that would burst when touched. Perhaps their purpose served to provide hydration for any native wildlife or they had something to do with crossing the magma. Either way it was not the mystery the Peacekeepers had come to solve.

As Groose had predicted, the team stumbled around the temple without the Master Sword's guidance. In the past it had shown them exactly where to go thus enabling them to make better time exploring the temples. Without Link to lead the way, the group had to search every inch of the ancient structure carefully to find some secret that would lead them to their objective, the Fire Medallion. The process was slow and the intense heat was gradually eating away at their patience.

They had been searching for the best part of an hour now without much success. Midna had long since started cursing Link for his stubbornness. '_If he could have just been the bigger man for one measly day, we would already have what we came for and already be out of this hellhole,_' she fumed. Her clothes were sticking uncomfortably to her sweating skin and her hair had been frizzed out of its natural smoothness by the heat. She could not wait to be able to take a nice, relaxing cold bath, right after she slapped her idiot boyfriend around a few times the next time she saw him.

Coming out to another open area of the temple only relieved them with a change of scenery. To the left there was a waterfall of lava streaming down, or more appropriately a lavafall. The occasional solid rock fell down the torrent, forming a makeshift stepping stone as it floated along the river. Crossing the magma flow, they come to a brick wall that took Callum's interest for some reason.

"What are you looking at?" Groose inquired. His pompadour drooped from being weighed down by sweat.

"Take a close look at this section here," the man instructed. "Now look at that section over there. If you compare them you can see a slight difference in the brickwork."

Midna examined the wall. She could only just tell that the first section that Callum pointed out appeared to be a different shade of colour to the second, and looked slightly more robust as well.

"So you think that there's some kind of secret hidden behind this thing like in the Temple of Time?" she asked.

If there was any skill Midna had picked up during her time working alone with Link it was how to notice when something was out of the ordinary as that usually meant something important. Although on this occasion the clue was not so obvious. If Callum had not pointed it out, she would most likely have walked right past it.

"Exactly," Callum nodded. "By the looks of it, this part here was built more recently than the rest of the wall. That would mean that someone has done some renovating long after this temple was originally constructed, and I believe I know who and why."

Callum ran his hands over the bricks, trying to find some kind of indentation or protrusion or something that would give an idea on how to pass through. His fingers passed over a red design that sank slightly deeper into the wall. The Peacekeeper pressed on it until a hidden mechanism clicked audibly. With a violent rumbling the bricks began to part, opening to a tunnel that ran further than the outside light could reach.

Conjuring a sphere of light in his palm, Callum lead the others inside. The passageway was barely wide enough for one person to walk through. Groose had to remove his cannon from his back in order to fit on an account of his burly size. The tunnel stretched deep within the mountain, descending at a rate so gradual it was almost unnoticeable. After a sharp turn here and a curve around there, the Peacekeepers entered a spacious cavern the size of a second-story building. Despite being inside a volcano, what they saw chilled their hearts as standing before a lake of magma in the center of the chamber was Ghirahim, black sword in one hand and a red disk in the other.

"What's this now?" Ghirahim smiled arrogantly. "Are you here to congratulate me on my most recent victory? It was nothing spectacular truly, though the medallion's guardian did put up a reasonable fight."

"Hand over the Fire Medallion and this won't have to get ugly," Callum told the demon bravely.

Ghirahim sneered at the man. "As if any of you could possibly be a threat to me. Where is your green friend, the Hero, if I may ask?"

"We don't need him to take care of you," Groose retorted. "A better question would be where all your goons are. What's the matter, couldn't they take the heat?" he challenged with a grin.

"Yes, that is precisely the reason," the Demon Lord answered neutrally, "As is the frailty of humans. It's pathetic really. I mean, how hard is it to find decent help in this day and age?"

Ghirahim paused for a moment then began to walk slowly towards the Peacekeepers. "I suppose since you have gone through all the trouble of coming to this place, I ought to reward you somehow." He stopped halfway across the distance between them. "I am quite generous so I will kill you all here and now and save you the agony of dying at my master's hand."

Callum drew his sword and held it out with both hands. "Get ready you two," he told his young allies, who also drew their weapons. "And hope that none of us die," he muttered under his breath as the Demon Lord charged at them.

* * *

Link had been inside the scorching tunnels of the Goron Mines in Death Mountain but they had nothing on this place. It was so hot that, even with him wearing his magical Goron Tunic, his armor was growing very uncomfortable as Scrapper carried him through the fiery mountain range. He had become a little anxious over the possibility of the flying robot accidentally dropping him. Flying above the clouds was one thing, there was plenty of time for Scrapper to catch him before he hit the ground, but here if Link slipped from the robot's grasp he would likely become the special ingredient in a volcanic soup.

He was relieved that he would not need to worry about that prospect anymore as the Hero spotted a man-made structure after they rounded a jagged peak. Making a beeline for the temple, Scrapper then hovered above the ground and unceremoniously dropped his load like a sack of potatoes. Link hit the stone floor hard with a grunt, instantly taking back every nice thought he had recently had about the old android.

"Well, here we are Mister Shortpants, zzzzt!" Scrapper stated. "It looks like your friends have already gone inside so I reckon you'd better hurry up and follow them. Anyway, I'm off. Try not to die in there or whatever, whizzt!" Before Link could reply the tiny robot zoomed off, quickly shrinking until he disappeared behind a cloud of volcanic ash.

Picking himself up, Link examined the scene around him. The door of the temple appeared as though there was meant to be some kind of trap blocking the way but it had already been deactivated. The stairs leading inside descended into darkness, a hot wind blowing up out of the entrance. He drew his sword and held it before him.

"Master, I detect two presences that may be of interest to you," Fi reported, materializing out of the blade. "One of which is Midna, though I am unable to determine her current state of well-being. The other is similar to the Forest and Light Medallions, most likely the medallion that was sealed within this sanctuary. Which of these would you like me to trace?"

Link did not have to think about it. "Midna. We can look for the medallion once we work out if she's safe."

As Fi disappeared from sight, Link had thought about what he would do once he found Midna and the others. He only came out here out of concern for Midna's safety and he was too proud to simply join up with her, Groose and Callum as if he simply had a change of heart. He was still mad at Callum so he was not about to do that. Instead, Link would catch up with them and so long as they were okay he would keep his distance, ready to jump in if something bad happened.

With his plan set, Link pointed the tip of the Master Sword out, triggering the humming glow of the dowsing function. The reading was strong so Midna was not that far away. Not wanting to waste any more time, the Hero of Light sprinted down the stairs two steps at a time, hoping that he was not too late.

* * *

Callum's sword locked with the cruel devil blade that threatened to cut him in two. He struggled to fend off Ghirahim as the demon pushed him back. The bloody gash that the Peacekeeper had recently taken made the effort a losing battle however. As such, he had no other choice but to retreat.

"_Frost Burn!_" he called, summoning bluish fire that streamed out of his outstretched hand. Ghirahim evaded the spell easily with a blurring sidestep. The stream continued on until it hit a stalagmite, encasing the stone in solid ice upon contact.

The Demon Lord smiled condescendingly at his adversary. "You'll have to do much better than that."

Ghirahim rushed forward again. Callum was barely able to defend himself and had to hold his weapon in both hands to block the incoming blow. The Demon Lord kicked out, catching Callum in the gut and sending him flying backwards. As he fell, Callum's head cracked painfully on a rock, knocking him out cold with a grunt. The demon approached the limp body, ready to finish the job when something blasted him from behind. Ghirahim howled in pain then turned to see what had dared to attack him.

"There's plenty more where that came from. Now back off," Midna challenged, black arcs of shadow magic charging in her hand for another spell.

The Demon Lord faced her fully, forgetting his previous opponent for the moment. "You should have joined me when I gave you the chance, girl," he said as he advanced slowly towards her.

"Like I said last time, no thanks."

"More the pity," Ghirahim frowned, "You could have had great power if you had accepted my offer. Now you will die just as your-."

He did not get the chance to finish as he was blasted into the lava pool by something that came from behind with a thundering bang. Midna looked to where the attack had originated and grinned at Groose holding up his smoking cannon.

"You have just been Groosenated!" he shouted triumphantly. "Thanks for keeping him distracted Midna."

"Any time," she giggled.

Her mood dampened when a movement drew her eye to the lake beside her. A shape had begun rising out of the glowing molten rock. Hot liquid streamed down Ghirahim's form in thick globs, his clothes burned away, his skin now black as coal and a murderous glare on his snarling face. A shining orange diamond stuck out on the center of his chest, similar to Fi's blue one, which had previously been obscured from view.

"You think that could have stopped me?" he growled, scooping up blobs of lava in each hand. "Fire is a demon's element!" Ghirahim threw the scalding gobbets at his enemies.

Midna flew out of the way while Groose rolled to evade the projectiles. As soon as the human was upright again he fired another shot at the demon. His target vanished before the shell made contact and reappeared right in front of Groose. With a slash of his black sword, Ghirahim cut the cannon into useless halves. His opponent disarmed, Ghirahim followed up with a blast of dark magic that hit the young man squarely on the chest. Groose screamed and curled up in agony. He was still alive and conscious but Groose was completely unable to defend himself.

Seeing the demon raise his sword over her friend, Midna had no choice but to dash straight into Ghirahim, shoving him well away from Groose. The two crashed onto the stone floor, Ghirahim rolling away from the force behind the Twili's charge. Steadily, they both found their feet again.

"You are starting to become a greater pest than that cursed Hero," Ghirahim growled, his fury almost palpable to the princess. The demon then brought back his weapon. "Now DIE!" he screamed, rushing forward to hack her to pieces.

Midna barely was fast enough to bring out her sword and deflect the incoming blade, thinking not for the first time how her Peacekeeper training had saved her life. Without both arms Midna would not be able to block against her opponent's powerful swings. So in order to fight back she kept herself moving, swatting the evil weapon away from her using the deflecting techniques Sarafi taught her. Thank goodness the rapier was light enough for her to wield single-handedly.

Ghirahim was pretty confident fighting a person who was already wounded. His attacks were almost lazy yet they still gave Midna trouble. After a short series of parries, she saw an opening and struck at the glowing crystal on the demon's chest. Ghirahim howled in pain, staggering backwards. Midna smiled at her accomplishment. '_So this guy really does have a weakness after all. That will be good to tell Link._' She frowned then, '_that's if I live that long_,' she thought to herself.

Moving in to attack the orange gem again, Midna swung her sword with all the strength she could manage, only for Ghirahim to recover and grab the blade with his bare hand, involuntarily dropping the medallion in the process. The demon twisted the sword out of her hand and cast it into the magma pool. '_Not good,_' Midna thought, watching the molten rock settle over the weapon. "_Why the hell did I even bother?_". Ghirahim interrupted her mourning as she dodged back from a diagonal slash.

Midna retaliated with a bolt of shadow magic, catching the demon in the chest and sending him flying back. Ghirahim shot back up and fired a sinister red beam demon magic at her with all his rage. Midna hastily erected a barrier to stop the deadly beam, gritting her teeth from the effort at the two energies met. She waited patiently for the attack to end, her strength running down with every second. Five seconds passed, ten, twenty, thirty seconds passed yet the energy beam kept coming.

When it finally did end, Midna collapsed to her knees, panting heavily. Before she could look up, Ghirahim teleported right in front of her and kicked her in the solar plexus. The demon stepped over his winded prey, planting a foot on her good arm then raised his sword skyward. Midna tried to warp but she was barely able to breathe and she was exhausted. All she could do was stare hopelessly at Ghirahim's sword, poised to kill.

'_Link,_' she closed her tearing eyes, '_I'm sorry._'

* * *

Link was mentally thanking each of the golden goddesses as he blazed through the temple corridor. With Fi's directions he was able to follow the most direct route to Midna so he did not need to worry about hitting any dead ends and wasting time. Even more to his luck, all of the traps he had encountered had already been disabled, meaning that Midna had gone down that path previously.

When he emerged out the other end, what he saw astounded him. Right before him was a river of lava, flowing down a cliff like a waterfall. Shaking his head to rid him of distracting thoughts, he pointed out his sword to check where to go. Following the blade's guidance, he crossed the river over floating stepping stones, coming face-to-face with what appeared to be a brick wall.

He had crawled through enough ancient temples to deduce that there had to be a secret passage behind so Link proceeded to grope the surface. His fingers came upon a slight indentation in the brickwork and pressed the hidden switch inward. With a loud rumble, the wall slid out of the way to reveal a dark tunnel that lead deeper into the mountain.

Inside the tunnel, Link thought he heard a strange noise. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the sound. It was the sound of steel striking steel. Link's eyes snapped open, there was a fight happening on the other end and if Midna was down that way then she was likely in danger. Abandoning all caution, Link charged a ball of light in his palm and sprinted down the tunnel as fast as the narrow space would allow, hoping that he would not see any of the dark scenarios that were playing inside his head. Along the way he heard an explosion, then two. '_What the hell is going on down there?_' The clash of metal resumed after that, growing louder with each meter that Link cleared.

Relief washed over him as he saw light up ahead. Breaking out of the dark passage, what Link found before him stopped him in his tracks. Blocking his view of what he would have seen of the magma lake, a great beam of crimson energy streaked across the cavern. On one end he saw Ghirahim, palms held out at the source of the flow. Link could not see who was at the receiving end or how they were faring; the attack seemed to envelop everything in its path. Scanning around, he saw Callum on the ground unmoving and Groose writhing on his side not far away. He did not see Midna but ice-cold fear told him exactly where she was.

A black shape appeared when the red beam cut off. Midna collapsed to her knees, bent over and breathing heavily. Link began running again, racing to her aid. She was so far away though and before he made it even halfway Ghirahim popped out in front of her, kicking Midna onto her back. The demon stepped on her arm, raising his sword for the final blow. Anger and desperation consumed the Hero, driving him to run faster, crossing the remaining distance in a heartbeat.

Had he been more aware at the time, Link would have realized he was moving faster than any human had any right to. In the heat of the moment, he had cast Rabbit Dash without its incantation, but his focus was solely on protecting Midna. Link swung out his sword and met the demon's blade as it descended with the ring of steel.

"Where did you..." Ghirahim screamed in shock before Link pushed back the unholy metal away and struck at the demons chest gem, the most prominent spot the Hero noticed.

When Midna did not feel death come to claim her, she opened her eyes to see her Hero standing over her. "Link..." Midna whispered.

"Get the hell away from her, you bastard," Link growled venomously. He charged at his enemy again, his first strike being blocked but his second hitting home after bashing the Demon Lord with his shield. He swung a third time, a fourth, with each attack landing on the precious heart stone. Ghirahim recovered enough to dodge the next swing and return with his own. Link blocked the attack with his shield and made a jab at his opponent. As the two battled it out, Midna scurried over to where Groose was trying to rouse Callum.

"How are you holding up?" she asked. "That was a pretty brutal hit you took back there."

Groose grimaced, his hand clenched at where the curse had struck him earlier. "I've had worse. I'm more worried about Callum." He shook the man's limp body once more. "Come on chief, wake up."

A low moan came from the senior Peacekeeper and slowly he began to stir. His eyes opened slightly a few times only to shut again before they widened fully. Midna and Groose helped him sit up as Callum held his bloodied head. "What happened?" he rasped.

"You hit your head fighting Ghirahim," Midna explained. "Groose and I took over but we didn't last much longer. He was about to finish me off before Link came."

"Link's here?" Callum said before she could go on. He searched around him blindly, his vision still cloudy from his trauma.

"Yeah, and he's fighting Ghirahim now," Groose confirmed. He shook his head, "Guy's definitely a legend alright. We barely lasted ten minutes and Link's been delivering more pain than we did altogether in just two." As he spoke, the Hero easily evaded a long ranged cut of demon magic.

Callum attempted to get to his feet with the young man's assistance. "What about the Fire Medallion?"

Midna scanned the floor for the place she thought she saw Ghirahim drop the artifact. Her eyes came across a dot of red against russet stone. "There," she said. She moved towards the relic, trying not to draw attention to her actions. The battle had moved a fair distance away so Midna's path was clear. She closed her fingers around the medallion, its power warming her very being like a flame, soothing her anxiety and fatigue.

Back at the fight, Link unleashed a mighty spin attack to break Ghirahim's defense. "_Thunder Strike!_" he shouted, shooting lighting from his shield hand at the Demon Lord's exposed chest. The fiend flew back into a heap stunned. The Hero saw his opportunity and jumped at his fallen foe with sword point down. The Master Sword smashed into Ghirahim's center, causing the demon to scream in pain.

Ghirahim disappeared from underneath the Hero then reappeared further away, standing up and panting heavily. Link could not believe that someone survived his most powerful technique. Even Ganondorf only lasted just long enough to spit his final curses before he bled out. This monster was definitely in a whole other league than the Dark Lord.

Ghirahim threw back his head and roared with unearthly hate. "ENOUGH! I no longer care about that wretched artifact anymore!" Power generated in the demon's hands as he raised them above his head. Without warning, he released the energy in a beam aimed directly at the ceiling. The cavern roof exploded where the beam impacted, cracks stretching outwards like a spider's web. The entire room began to quake as rocks began to fall from above.

"My servants will dig out the key later," Ghirahim boasted maniacally, "along with your flattened corpses. Farewell boy, for the last time." And with that he vanished from the collapsing cave.

Ignoring the demon, Link turned his attention to his friends. "Are you all alright?" he asked them. Midna and Groose appeared battered though Callum looked like he had seen better days with red caking his scruffy black hair. '_At least none of them are dead,_' he thought.

Midna gave him her trademark grin and nodded, then held up the treasure in her hand. Before Link could speak, a loud crack sounded from above. Looking up, a large part of the ceiling came loose, threatening to crush them all. Link closed his eyes and pulled Midna close on instinct in a futile attempt to protect her. She too clung to him for dear life.

A crash filled his ears yet he felt nothing. Opening his eyes, rocks surround him at all sides, only kept off of the group by a mystical blue light. He looked to his side to see Callum, hands above his head and struggling as though he bore the weight of the moon on his shoulders.

"We have to go!" Groose shouted. Midna was already ahead of him, creating a portal within the protective field that would lead to the outside.

Link saw that his father had not moved. "Callum, come on," he told him.

Still the man did not move. "I can't. Maintaining Nayru's Love is all I can do right now. Get out of here now before I lose the spell and we all die."

"What?" Link said in disbelief. "We're not leaving you. Midna can move the portal to you then you can escape."

"No," Callum refused. "If I leave then the shield will break and the rest of you won't make it out. Just forget about me. That's an order!"

Link shook his head stubbornly. "If you think I'm just going to let you stay here and die then..."

"Link!" his father stopped him. He gave him a sad smile. "I appreciate what you are trying to do but you can't help me. I'm sorry that I couldn't have been the father you deserved. It's my greatest regret among a list of many. I can never make up for my mistake but let me do this one last thing for you."

"Shut up," Link growled, his heart ripping apart inside his chest. "I'm not leaving you here to die and that's it, got it?"

"Groose, take Link and get him out of here," Callum ordered.

The larger boy grabbed hold of the Hero in a mighty bear hug, lifting him up off of the ground. Link kicked and thrashed to escape but Groose's grip was too strong. All Link could do was stare fearfully at his father as he was carried closer and closer to the portal. Midna stepped onto the black space and broke apart into Twilight particles.

"No! Let me go!" Link protested. "Callum!" he screamed as his body deconstructed and was absorbed into the portal.

Alone, Callum let out one final sigh. "Goodbye, my son." The shield faded and its load crashed downwards.

* * *

Part of the mountain crumbled in on itself, dust billowing from any hole or crack it could spew from. Link, Midna and Groose watched in anguish from afar as the thundering settled out of existence. The latter two did not know what to say to their friend, who stared numbly at the smoking temple. They had succeeded in their mission to retrieve the Fire Medallion. But was it worth the cost?

* * *

**Wow, that ended darkly. This chapter took me the longest to get right and I had to revise a lot of things. Let me know what you thought.**

**EquinoxWolf.**


	15. Chapter 15: Loss and Love

**Hello.**

**I'm starting to get a little tired of doing the same greeting and sign-off message in every chapter. I imagine it's pretty annoying for you guys by now plus I don't have much to say in these author's notes anymore. So I reckon I'll stop doing it unless I have something important to say.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Loss and Love**

No word reached Skyloft about Callum. No communications came in from the missing Peacekeeper. Scrying mirrors showed only darkness when they tried to display him. Rescue teams found nothing as they searched the site day and night tirelessly. Link himself had gone back to the sanctuary to help but not even Fi could locate any trace of Callum. After a restless two weeks of silenc,e the Order had no choice but to presume Callum dead. With the loss of such a renowned agent, everyone on Skyloft mourned yet none more so than the Hero of Light.

The Peacekeepers held a memorial service for their fallen comrade. It was a large affair; every member of the Order not away on a mission had attended to pay their respects. Those who otherwise preoccupied sent messages when they heard the news. The council awarded Callum a medal of honor which they presented to Link on his behalf. In consideration of his companion's reports and the successful acquisition of one of the sacred medallions, the council even returned leadership of the Demon's Flames mission to Link.

Link did not care about being reinstated as the team's leader. He did not care about the honors. He did not care about his victory. All of that was insignificant to him. The only thing that mattered to Link was that once again he had lost the only family he had left, and it felt no easier the second time round. Since escaping the Fire Sanctuary, Link had hoped against hope that somehow Callum had survived. Scrying mirrors showed nothing but that might have been because they were being blocked by interference. It was possible was it not? But now, after so long without any news, even Link's faith had begun to waver.

Strangers came to him to offer their condolences, each saying how Callum had been a good man. It stung to be reminded that these people all knew him far better than Link ever did. It did not hurt as much though when his former trainers Jarret and Sarafi came forward. At least he felt close enough to them so that their sympathy bore meaning. Hell, even Dennis gave him some small comfort. Groose could never manage to find the right words to say so he remained silent, though Link appreciated it all the same.

Of course the person whose support Link felt he needed the most was Midna. Since returning to Skyloft she had not left his side once. Likewise she had yet to convey her thoughts and feelings into words although she hardly needed to. Throughout their time together, the two lovers rarely ever spoke about how much they cared about each other yet they understood one another well enough. Her mere presence was enough for Link. It had always been that way for him no matter what happened. He was simply glad that he was mourning one person.

Before the memorial, administration had given Link the key to his father's apartment. As Callum's next of kin, Link had a claim to the deceased agent's possessions, although he had been putting it off for some time now. He felt responsible for Callum's death and was reluctant to visit the now-vacant home. Midna had insisted that he go and offered to go with him if he felt uncomfortable. Eventually Link gave in however he told her that he wanted to do so alone.

He began to have second thoughts though when he stood at the front door. He was nervous about what he would find. Link had never been inside Callum's quarters before and to him the place had an air to it, as though he was trespassing somewhere sacred. His palms were sweaty and his breathing became short and hurried but he could not turn back now. He held the key in his shaking hands and fumbled a little bit before sliding the metal into the lock. Link turned the key, his heart pounding in his ears, and opened the door apprehensively.

Link was not sure what he had been expecting; a huge, luxurious room; desks cluttered with paperwork; every inch of the living space being meticulously maintained and tidy? The reality surprised him more than fantasy. While the room had the same plush furnishing that was standard on Skyloft, it was relatively Spartan for someone who had been living in it for sixteen years. The room had been well kept though it was not military-grade tidiness. The blankets on the bed were unevenly laid and large creases cut across them.

An object on the desk caught Link's eye. It was a medium-sized mirror held within a simple frame. The ancient runes scrawled around the circumference revealed the object to be a large scrying mirror. Many books filled the shelves on the opposite wall, some with titles that were written in foreign languages. There were also a few knick-knacks on the upper shelves, likely souvenirs from their owner's past adventures. There were figurines, precious stones, small ornate weapons and other curios that Link did not know the names of. A tiny box contained a golden necklace with a small ruby cut into the shape of a heart.

He picked up a wooden shape from the shelf and held it up for closer inspection. It was an ocarina, an old traditional instrument that played part in many celebrations back in Hyrule, particularly those regarding the Hero of Time. With a pang of sadness, Link recalled that his mother had loved listening to the ocarina. He guessed he now knew why. He brought the mouthpiece up to his lips and blew a simple tune. The sound was clear and beautiful. Wiping his spit from the wood, Link replaced the ocarina back onto the shelf.

Looking inside the wardrobe he found little in the way of clothing. Obviously Callum had not been the type to indulge in fashion. Judging from the wear and tear of some of the pieces, Link assumed that they were very old. His foot accidentally kicked into something solid, drawing his attention to a box on the floor. Link crouched down and picked it up. It was fairly heavy and made of fine wood with a simple latch that held the curved lid shut. He moved the chest over to the work desk then flipped the latch and opened the top.

Inside was a sizable collection of small disks that were arranged in neat rows. Link picked one out of box and studied it. The piece was thin and had a reflective surface. It too had ancient text around the outside yet they were clearly different to those of the scrying mirror. There were also markings etched in Hylian on the disks, this one labelled 'Link's Great Battle' with a date underneath. Link recognized the object as an archive disc. He had learned about them during his Peacekeeper training. The discs could be used to record images displayed on a scrying mirror and replay them at a later time. The Order frequently used them for various purposes including collecting information, analyzing events and providing evidence when necessary.

Taking another look at the mirror on the desk, Link noticed another device attached to the frame with a compartment that could be opened from the top. He placed the disc he picked up in the round cavity inside, finding it to be a perfect fit. He closed the compartment lid and sat on the desk chair, watching the mirror's reflection shift out of focus. The scene showed the throne room of Hyrule Castle, partially broken similarly to how Link had remembered seeing it during his first and only visit there.

In fact it was exactly how he had seen it that day. Sitting on the throne was a face Link still had nightmares about, the man responsible for the chaos that had torn apart Link's world, Ganondorf. The Gerudo rested his chin on his fist arrogantly as he watched two figures enter the room, one being Link himself and the other being Midna still in her cursed imp form. A damaged statue representing the three goddesses stood over the throne, a replica of the Triforce in its center. In the heart of the three triangles was the lifeless body of Princess Zelda, completely unaware of what was about to transpire.

Present day Link heard the characters recite the same conversation that had been spoken back then, every word spoken clearly as though he was right there in the room. He watched as the warlord broke apart into Twilight particles, Midna attempting in vain to restore Zelda, and his love being flung out of the throne room entrance when Zelda opened eyes that were not hers. He saw himself fight the Princess of Hyrule, Midna rejoining the battle and purging the evil from Zelda's body, Ganondorf reappearing in the form of a hideous beast, Link and Midna combining their strength to defeat the monster, and finally the Twilight Princess bringing her counterpart back to life.

The heartfelt reunion was interrupted as Ganondorf rose again for another round. Present Link knew what was about to come and wanted to look away yet his eyes were fixed to the vision before him. Midna warped her friends out of the room to the safety of Hyrule Field then confronted the Dark Lord alone with the power of the Fused Shadows, transforming herself into a spidery energy being. Instead of following Link, the scene continued as the two forces clashed, the surrounding building obliterated by the battle. It did not last long though as one devastating blast from Ganondorf vaporized Midna's empowered body. The sight chilled Link's heart. He had to remind himself that she miraculously survived that battle.

The scene then changed to display Link and Zelda in the fields. The castle fell to pieces in the distance. Ganondorf rode out of the city towards his remaining enemies, his previous opponent's headpiece crumbling in his gauntlet. Phantoms in the Dark Lord's image followed him in formation, ready to descend upon their helpless prey. The light spirits pulled the Hero and the princess away at the last moment and onto Epona's back. Now on equal grounds, Link cut apart Ganondorf's minions with ease as Zelda shot him with the holy Arrows of Light.

After taking a few hits from the divine power, Ganondorf fell off of his horse, rolling in the dirt and cursing furiously. Past Link dismounted Epona, his face twisted with a hatred that his present self was shocked to see. The two warriors raised their swords and fought for their lives as well as their honor. Seeing the battle from this perspective, Link could not believe his own eyes as he beat back the Gerudo's attacks and finally impaled him with the Master Sword. Ganondorf spat his last insults and threats before dying in a crumpled heap.

Past Link collapsed to his knees and began shaking. Though no sound could be heard, Link could tell from his own memory that he was crying for his lost companion. The light of the spirits shone brightly atop a nearby hill then dissipated as a tall dark shape stood in its place. Seeing that Midna was alive and unharmed Link felt as happy and relieved even now as he had been back then. He saw himself run up to embrace her then the image went blank.

Link returned to the small chest and picked out another archive disc at random. This one was titled 'Amanda and Link Fishing'. He switched the disc in the reading device with the new one and looked into the mirror again. This time the glass displayed Ordon Village, peaceful and undisturbed on a bright sunny day. Sitting on the pier by the lake was ten year old Link next to his mother, both with a fishing rod in their hands. It was not very exciting yet Link was completely absorbed in the image.

Amanda was beautiful beyond words. Her skin was fair, her eyes were a deep green and waist-long hair was the same dirty blonde as her son's. She laughed at her little boy's failed attempts at fishing. Young Link was not quite getting the hang of the activity and would not stop fidgeting or pulling in his line too early, thus scaring the fish away and making things more difficult. His mother instructed him to be patient. Her gentle voice was just as lovely as Link remembered it. Soon after finally settling down, his young self turned frantic once again as something began yanking at his rod. With his mother's help, Link successfully landed his first fish, an Ordon catfish. The Hero remembered tenderly that they ate that same fish for dinner that night. He had felt so proud of himself back then.

One after another, Link played the archive discs start of finish. He watched himself taking his first steps as a toddler, his mother encouraging him all the way until he fell into her open arms. Another showed Amanda singing her son to sleep, her voice as sweet as honey. There was one that featured Link practicing with a wooden sword with Rusl at the age of eleven. The next showed Link riding Epona at thirteen. On and on Link continued to go through the collection, each disc containing a moment of Link's life. He could not believe that Callum had kept so many of these recordings, most of which were hardly important. The fond memories were nothing more than that; fond memories.

Link hung his head in his hands as tears began to form in his eyes. Goddesses, he had been wrong about Callum, so wrong. His father _had _cared about him and his mother. All these years, Callum had been watching them through this scrying mirror, recording any little thing that he felt was memorable. And Link had the gall to accuse Callum of abandoning his family. All of that anger Link had harbored, all of that hate, had been based on absolutely nothing. His shoulders began to rack as choked sobs escaped him.

All of the tears in the world could not express the guilt and regret that he now felt. He had been so stupid. If he had not been so stubborn and listened to Callum, he would have gone with him to Fire Sanctuary. They would have found the medallion long before Ghirahim appeared and maybe his father would still be alive. But Callum was gone and Link had no one to blame but himself. Some chosen hero he turned out to be.

A gentle hand on his shoulder made Link jump, snapping him out of his self-pitying. He raised his head up to see Midna looking down at him sadly. He had not even heard her enter the room though it hardly mattered. Without a word, he stood up and she wrapped her arms around him soothingly. He held her tight, afraid that she could disappear forever.

"You were right," he whispered, his voice shaky. "I was such an idiot. Now Callum's gone and it's all because of me. I should have listened to you."

She gave him a reassuring squeeze. "You did listen. Even though it took you a while to get over yourself, you came after us. If you hadn't then Groose and I would be dead as well. I'm so sorry about Callum Link but none of it was your fault. It was his choice to stay behind so that we could escape and it was Ghirahim who caused the cave to collapse in the first place."

She pulled away so that she could see his face and cupped his cheek with her palm, using her thumb to wipe his tears. He raised his hand up and held hers in place. "You couldn't have known what was going to happen. You tried to save him but there was nothing you could do, so please stop blaming yourself. I hate seeing you like this."

Midna brought her lips to his and kissed him. Link pulled her in closer, deepening the kiss, savoring every second as though it would be his last. He found comfort in the taste of her mouth, in feeling her fingers run through his hair, in stroking his own up and down her back, in the beating of her heart against his chest. A wise man had once told him to hold on to Midna and never let her go, and Link made a promise there and then that he never would.

When they parted for air Link gazed into her fiery eyes. Within those crimson irises was an understanding that he would never find anywhere else, not in a million years. They had seen the suffering he had endured, the nightmares that tormented him, the moments where he managed to draw on one last ounce of strength even though he was tired and bleeding. They knew that he was not invincible, that he could feel pain, that he had limits, that he was mortal, and he could see in them that she wanted nothing more than to comfort him in his suffering. She was his greatest treasure, worth more to him than gold or diamonds, and he would protect her for as long as he lived.

"Ghirahim isn't going to get away with this," he said at last. "Neither is Brandon. They're both going to pay for what happened to Callum, I promise. I'll get the medallions back even if I have to tear them from their cold, dead bodies."

Midna gave him a small smile. "I know you will. But remember that you don't have to do this alone. I'll stick with you no matter what."

He let out a brief chuckle. "How do you do it? Whenever I fall to pieces and don't know how to go on you always manage to put me back together."

"I dunno, I guess I just have a knack for it." Her gaze shifted from his to the mirror on the desk. "So those people were you and your mother right?"

Link nodded. "Everything in that box is about me and my mom. There's so many of them. I still haven't even gone through even a third of it yet."

Midna leaned over the case and plucked out a disc. "Well how about we watch them together then? I'm curious as to who my boyfriend was before he became a legendary hero."

Smiling, Link took the record out of her hands and placed it inside the reader. The two of them cuddled up on the desk chair, she sitting on his lap as Link narrated each playing. They stayed there as the hours flew by, oblivious to the sky outside the window shifting into the black of night. Watching these memories no longer filled Link with sorrow, instead he smiled fondly as he shared them with his princess.

* * *

Link woke up the next morning with Midna still sleeping up against him. He sat up on the mattress, careful not to wake her. In a moment of confusion Link looked around the strange surrounds before he recalled that they were still in Callum's apartment. They had spent all night in front of the scrying mirror and had taken to falling asleep on the bed. '_Whoops_,' he thought, glad they had not done anything more to desecrate his father's home.

He heard a drowsy moan come from Midna and turned to see her stir beside him. She opened her eyes and raised her head to him slowly. Link lowered himself to greet her with his lips, coaxing her further up off of the bed as he leaned away until they were both upright. Midna rubbed the sand from her eyes before giving him a warm smile.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Better." He let out a long sigh. "I just wish I had more time with him, to get to know him properly."

"I'm sure Callum wanted that too," she replied. "But he also would have wanted you to move on and be happy rather than living every day wishing things had happened differently.

Before he had the chance to agree with her there was a knock at the door. When Link went over to answer he found Groose there to greet him. "Hey," the redhead said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "How're you holding up?"

"Had it a bit hard yesterday," Link admitted. "Found Callum's collection of archive discs. Had a whole bunch of stuff on them about my mom and I." He gestured inside, "You wanna come in?"

The Hero's friend accepted the invitation wordlessly. "I went to your place earlier but I couldn't find you." Groose caught sight of Midna still in Callum's bed but said nothing more than a hello. "I went around the base looking for you and then I decided to try here."

"What's up?" Midna asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"The guys in the lab have worked out were the last medallion is. Apparently it's in the Twilight Realm."

Midna twisted her mouth anxiously. "It's been a while since I left my home world. I'm a little nervous about what might have changed since I... died." Link understood her hesitation. When they joined the Peacekeeper Order together, Midna had to fake her own death in order to leave behind her old life as the Twilight Princess. Thinking about returning there must be bringing back some unwanted memories.

"Do they have any idea exactly where it is?" she asked.

Groose nodded. "They think it's in some ruins called the Dark Tomb."

The Twili's head bobbed knowingly. "I know the place, it's far from the palace but I can warp us there easily."

Link crossed his arms, furrowing his brow in thought. This was it, the last key to the Well of the Accursed left to find. So long as the Order held at least one of the other medallions, it would not matter who found this next artifact. And since the Peacekeepers have the Mirrors of Twilight under guard, Brandon and Ghirahim could not possibly get into the Twilight Realm. Still, they could not take any chances and it would be better to keep the final medallion out of the Flames' hands.

"Alright," he stated, "looks like we're going back to the Twilight Realm."

* * *

**So how did you like that chapter? I had originally wanted to add a lemon into this scene but I decided that I wanted my first story to be appropriate for a wider age range in my audience. Don't fret older readers as I have plenty of story ideas for the future that I intend to sex up.**

**Feeling so hyped that Pokemon X and Y will finally be released worldwide this weekend. I don't think people are going to see too much of me once I get my copy on Saturday. :D**


	16. Chapter 16: Tricks in the Dark

**I want to once again say thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. I now have a better idea of where my strengths and weaknesses are as a writer.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Tricks in the Dark**

When they had prepared themselves for their expedition to recover the Shadow Medallion, Midna, Link and Groose entered the Twilight Realm through Skyloft's Mirror of Twilight. After arriving at the shadow world's Peacekeeper base, the group made their way to the Palace of Twilight. Though they were on an important mission, Midna had made a request to take a quick detour to her former home.

As none of them could be seen in their true forms, the threesome disguised themselves as Twili. Link and Groose yellowed their eyes and darkened their skin in order to blend in however Midna needed a radical change in her appearance. In place of her usual long, straight fire-orange style, her hair had become short, wavy and black. She made herself seem slightly shorter in height and her disguise was a little wider in the face. On her back was a brand-new sword to replace she had lost in the Fire Sanctuary. If Link had not been there to see her mask herself, he would have thought she was a completely different person.

The town near the palace was where they warped to, a less conspicuous place to appear at than the castle grounds. The markets were bustling with people all going about their daily business of buying and selling, none of whom batted an eye at the three unfamiliar faces. For a long time, Midna had been concerned about the Twili's well-being under the rule of their new leader. She often used her scrying mirror to check on the realm when alone, even from Link, and though the Twili appeared happy enough, it took seeing them with her own eyes to finally put her mind at ease. She heard a moist, chewing sound coming from behind her and turned to find Groose eating away at a skewered Twilight fish.

He caught her staring at him and spoke with his mouth half full. "What? I was hungry."

Link shook his head beside him with a look of mild disgust. "How can you eat that?" he said in a low voice, grimacing at the cooked animal's tentacles.

Groose shrugged at the question. "Taste's better than it looks." He took another bite before holding it in front of Link. "Want some?" The Hero turned his nose away from the meat, sticking his tongue out. Midna took the offer in his place, savoring the unique flavor that she had not experienced since before her recent diet of light-worlder food.

She listened to the conversations within the crowd, most of it irrelevant to her but there was the odd comment regarding their current ruler. King Eddard had lead the Twili with a compassionate hand, taking the people's concerns and needs into consideration as Midna had hoped when she chose him as her successor. Back when she was still a princess she knew that he was a better candidate than more greedy lords who would have abused the throne. Midna was glad that that trust had not been misplaced.

Curiosity lured Midna to a less populated area closer to the palace. The site was littered with many headstones of deceased high-borns. Some of the graves belonged to past kings and queens of the Twilight Realm, each marked by a stone statue of their respective monarch. Habit from frequent visits to the graveyard allowed Midna to single out the likeness of one king in particular. Her expression fell sullen as she stood before her father's resting place.

Similar to herself, Midna's father was tall and slender. His face was narrow though distinguished with his strong jawbone, prominent cheekbones and granite eyes filled with deep wisdom. The craftsmanship was so perfect that the stone looked like it could come to life. Midna could remember spending hours alone kneeling beneath the statue crying after his passing, days and weeks living in anguish before Zant's coup forced her out of her sorrow to focus on saving her stolen kingdom.

Midna found it unsettling when she turned to the grave on the right. The stone figure on top was a tall, beautiful young woman; it was her standing on her own grave marker. The base of the granite princess bore an inscription in Twilian letters reading '_Though her reign was short, she ruled with a gentle heart_.' She knew that had to have been Eddard's work, no one else would have said such a thing, not after the way she led her people and lost her throne so soon after claiming it. Midna did not think she deserved this kindness yet she appreciated it all the same.

"_It's so tragic_," said a female voice in her language. Startled, Midna looked back to see a Twili woman and a man behind her next to Link and Groose. "_She was so young and had so much to live for. Something horrible must have happened to the princess to drive her to kill herself._" Midna went rigid until she remembered that she did not look like herself, no one save the humans next to her knew who she really was.

The man snorted. "_She was weak if you ask me. Kicked of the throne barely a month after her coronation and suddenly disappeared when that tyrant Zant took over. Then after someone kills the devil she shows up out of nowhere and sits her worthless rear back onto that damn chair as though nothing had happened._"

His words gripped at Midna's heart with a freezing hand. The man was not done however, "_I heard the rumours going around after that. That girl didn't give a rat's fart about our people. She just sat on the throne bored as a floor. Next thing I hear is that she jumps out of her bedroom window and hits the ground face first. Good for her I reckon. Best idea she's ever had. We're all better off without her._"

The woman berated him but Midna's body was already shaking and her eyes burning. She spun away from the statue and ran, not caring where she went. Dashing through the hordes of Twili in the marketplace Midna kept running, hot tears flowing freely. She barely heard Link call out after her but she did not stop. When her legs would not carry her any further she, dropped to her knees in an isolated field, her snivels turning into irrepressible sobs.

She felt muscled arms grab hold of her and pull her towards a hard, chainmail-clad chest. "Midna," Link said, gasping lightly from chasing her, "what's wrong, what happened back there?"

When she gave no response besides her weeping he looked back at Groose. The larger Peacekeeper reluctantly translated the earlier conversation. Link let go of Midna and stormed back towards the town before Groose restrained him. "I'm going kill him!" Link screamed furiously, fighting against the redhead's grasp. "Get off of me Groose, I'm going to kill him!"

"Leave it!" Groose insisted. "Believe me, I want to drop the guy myself but he's not worth it. We have a job to do so we can't go around beating people senseless and drawing attention to ourselves. We're supposed to be covert remember?"

Link failed to listen and continued to struggle. "Link, stop, please," Midna told him, her voice strained and shaky. "That guy was right, I was a terrible ruler. Running away and putting someone else in charge was the best thing I ever did for this kingdom."

"Don't say that." Link growled, finally breaking away from Groose to face her. "We've been over this, you were not-"

"Link," she interrupted, "it's okay, really. Groose is right; we have bigger things to worry about at the moment than my little breakdowns." She picked herself up and wiped her eyes. "Come on, I'm done here so let's go get that medallion." With no more to say on the matter the threesome broke apart into Twilight particles and vanished into the sky.

* * *

The ancient structure before them was less impressive than other temples Link had explored. The obsidian black building was no larger than a small mansion. Furthermore, like most Twilian architecture, the tomb's shape was rectangular with not much in the way of other features. Red networking runes lined the walls, offering what little colour they could provide to its bleak surface. The entrance gaped open wide like a great monsters mouth ready to swallow any who dared step within.

"So what's the story with this place?" the Hero of Light asked aloud. His facade along with those of his companions had been discarded as they no longer served purpose. As there was not another soul to be seen for miles they were free to walk around in their true forms.

It was Midna who answered his question. "This is the Dark Tomb where the ancestors of the Twili were put to rest long ago."

"You mean the Dark Interlopers who got your people banished here?" Link said, recalling the Twili's history where a group of powerful shadow magicians were driven from the world of light by the spirits. The Dark Interlopers, as they had been named, had invaded the Sacred Realm and attempted to acquire the divine power resting there, the Triforce.

Midna nodded. "After being banished, the tribe turned on their leaders out of anger. Even the Interlopers' own children acted against them. The sons executed their fathers for their reckless greed and assumed leadership of the tribe. The Interloper's were then buried here far away from the people. This place serves as a reminder to the Twili of what happens when you seek power purely for the sake of it."

'Cheery," Groose grimaced. "If the Shadow Medallion's here then I can't think of a better place for it. World of perpetual twilight; dark, creepy tomb; long-dead power hungry sorcerers buried deep inside. Yep, this place ticks all the boxes."

Link stared into the open doorway. It was difficult to see clearly even a few feet in as darkness consumed what little light the sky of Twilight provided. He drew his sword and extended it towards the entrance. The blade glowed and vibrated with a familiar hum, increasing in frequency as he dropped the sword point downwards which indicated that more of the temple was underground.

"No doubt about it," he affirmed. "This is definitely the right place."

Link took point heading inside the tomb. The chilly air was stale and reeked of death and rot, making it unpleasant to breathe. Going deeper in, Groose created a ball of light so that they could see what was ahead. Twilight vermin scurried across the stone floor, squeaking at the explorers but otherwise leaving them alone. In a room where the path divided they found a small group of them gnawing away at several humanoid skeletons lying on the ground.

"Hold up," Link instructed. He stuck his hand out to indicate for his companions to stop. Something was wrong. The freshest corpse looked only a few weeks old and the smell seconded that. But the body had been cleaved in two yet there was no sign of what could have caused that. All the other skeletons were in the same condition, some dusty and yellow with age. The bones rested near the center of the room and there were no gaps in the walls or ceiling where a blade trap could be concealed.

"This doesn't make sense," he told them. "There should be something around here that could have cut these guys up but there isn't anything else around."

"Do you think that some guardian could have done this?" Midna suggested.

Link shook his head. "Not likely. There's no sign of battle here so whoever these were got caught by surprise. It couldn't have been an ambush either because everyone who came this way after the first would be on edge from seeing the body, plus there's nothing here to hide behind."

Groose frowned and rubbed his chin. He then pointed out at the floor. "Hey, you see that there, smack dab in the centre of the room?" The others followed his finger and spotted a tiny circle in the floor. It seemed innocent enough but it was the only possible clue they could see.

"Let me try something," Link said. In his mind he searched through his pocket dimension inventory and summoned a red apple. After muttering an incantation, the apple rose from his hand and floated out into the room. Without warning the fruit split perfectly in half yet they saw nothing that had passed through it.

"There's definitely something there," Link said. "Damn, if only I could turn into a wolf again." Shortly after defeating Ganondorf, the shadow crystal that once gave the Hero the ability to change into the form of a beast disintegrated into powerless dust. Link had not grieved about it much. It was a useful power what with the keener senses of a wolf but he much preferred being able to walk around in his true skin.

"Let me try something," Groose said, "_True Sight,_" and the young man's eyes shone a bright purple color. His face then turned to shock and he took an involuntary step back. "Woah! There's a huge death trap in there. The thing was invisible this whole time."

"Figures," the Hero frowned. He and Midna used the spell themselves to see for themselves. Link felt a sensation like his vision was becoming clearer as the world took on a violet tint. Where there had been empty space there was now a tall pillar coming out of the floor. Great scythes that reached around most of the room spun quickly around the post, the cruel sharpness of the blades' edges reflecting the explorers' light source.

"Goddesses," Midna muttered. "Talk about overkill. Good thing Groose knew that spell or we might have walked into that. And let's not forget about the brave apple that gave its life to save our own," she added jokingly.

The redheaded male chuckled. "And here I thought Aunt Selphie's birthday present was a dud. Now I'm glad I didn't get that pair of digging claws for my sixteenth."

"There'll probably more traps like this up ahead," Link warned, "so let's be careful."

And right he was. There were several more unseen dangers the further they went. Guillotines, moving platforms, axe pendulums, all hidden from view by some strange enchantment. Out of all the temples that Link had explored, this place was by far the most deadly. In his head he imagined how he would have fared the tomb before he became a Peacekeeper. The most likely outcome was not good.

The Master Sword hummed with greater intensity as the group stood before a large set of doors. It required Link and Groose's combined strength to push them open and even then they struggled against their weight. Ancient dust clouds erupted from the chamber within which Link blew away with his boomerang. Inside sat three black coffins arranged in a triangle, each etched with blue Twili runes. In the middle of the triangle stood a cylindrical stone pedestal. On top of the pedestal sat a purple disk with a triangle inscribed on its face with a circle dotted beside each of its edges.

"This must be the Interlopers' chamber," Midna awed. "I bet no one's been in here for centuries." Piles of greyish dust littered the floor and the caskets supporting her theory.

"Except for whoever put the Shadow Medallion here," Link replied. "Now let's grab it and get the heck out of this place before something shows up to kill us."

He extended his hand to pick up the treasure. "Master Link, stop!" He froze immediately with his fingers hovering mere centimeters away when Fi called out to him. Link quickly drew his hand back and faced the recently-materialized spirit.

"Master, the artefact in front of you is not the Shadow Medallion. This replica, I believe, is part of some security measure designed to protect the real medallion. I sense a magical connection between the replica and the three coffins. I hypothesize that touching or removing the fraud triggers some enchantment on the Dark Interloper's remains. My most plausible prediction is that the enchantment animates the corpses which will then attack any intruders on sight."

"Seriously?" Groose exclaimed. "As if this place wasn't creepy enough. First invisible death machines and now zombie sorcerers. After this I'm done with this world, no offence Midna."

The Twili shrugged. "None taken. So if this thing is a fake then where's the real one?"

"I detect that the true Shadow Medallion is within this room," Fi responded. "Scans of the immediate proximity reveal that the medallion is up there." The spirit gazed up at the ceiling, the rest of the group followed suit. Right over the pedestal, embedded in the brickwork, was another circular object that was exactly identical to the forgery. Midna levitated up to the medallion and pried it out as carefully as she could.

"Got it," she said as she floated back to ground level. "Wow, this thing has some serious shadow magic in it. Feels just like the Fused Shadows did, only less sinister. It's kind of pleasant and calming actually."

"Well the medallions weren't intended as weapons so that might be it," Groose commented. "Since we've avoided a fight so far, I say we skedaddle before our luck runs out." His friends nodded in agreement. Midna snapped her fingers, opening up a portal on the floor.

"Oh, are you leaving so soon?" said a voice that made Link burn with anger. He turned around to lay eyes on Brandon leaning casually against the door frame. The Hero pulled out his sword, ready to cut down the man.

"Now let's be civilised," Brandon tutted. "I'm not here for a fight or to try to steal that medallion from you, honest."

Link did not lower his blade. "How the hell did you get in this world?" he growled dangerously. "The Peacekeepers have got all the Mirrors of Twilight guarded."

"Not all of them." Brandon paused, "Could you please put that away, it's not very polite to point a weapon at an unarmed man."

Slowly, realization dawned on the Hero. "You found another mirror," his voice barely more than a whisper. Not counting the one that Midna had destroyed months previously, the Peacekeepers protected five of the gateways between the Light and Twilight Realms however there were still three others that had yet to be found. Now it seemed that there were only two. "Don't try anything funny Brandon. One step in that portal and we're gone."

The cult leader sighed exasperatedly. "As I have already told you, I am not about to claim the Shadow Medallion by force. Instead you are going to give it to me willingly. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but you will give me the medallion as well as the one you acquired from the Fire Sanctuary."

"You really have lost your mind. Why in Din's name would I do that?" the Hero asked, shaking his head.

Brandon smirked confidently. "Because it is the only way you are going to see your father alive again."

Link recoiled then composed himself. "Callum's dead. He died when Ghirahim dropped a mountain on him."

"I assure you he is very much alive." The ex-Peacekeeper picked out a small object from his pocket. "Here, see for yourself." Link approached cautiously and snatched the item. Holding it up he saw that the object was a scrying mirror and the image it displayed almost made him drop it.

The mirror showed a dark room. Tied to a chair was a man with black, scruffy hair and a beard to match it. He was hunched over with his face looking downward. The man slowly raised his head and Link was shocked to see it was indeed Callum. His face was badly bruised and dried blood ran down his chin onto his red Goron tunic. He looked as though he had been beaten for some time.

Callum's eyes widened as he gazed forward. "Link..." he said in a weak voice. The mirror in the Hero's hand must be connected to one in front of Callum.

Link stared at the image for a long moment then turned to Brandon. "How do I know that he's not one of your cronies in disguise?" Link did not know whether he wanted the man in the mirror to be his father or an impostor, either case would have given him some pain and comfort.

"You could try asking him a question," the traitor suggested nonchalantly. "I recommend asking something only the real Callum would know the answer to."

Link thought hard on what to say. He needed something that would prove his father's identity without doubt, something they only the two of them knew, then he had it. "Before we went to find the Kokiri you told Midna, Groose and I about the Sage's medallions," he said to the mirror. "What did you tell me to do when we were alone afterwards?"

The man who may have been Callum did not hesitate. "I told you to protect Midna and keep her close because I knew she was the one person you could never live without. I said that so that you wouldn't make the same stupid mistake that I made with your mother."

That was all the proof Link needed. "Callum what happened to you? Where are you?"

"I'm sorry to cut your family reunion short but we have business to attend to," Brandon interrupted. "If you want Callum returned alive and in one piece, you will bring both the Shadow and Fire Medallions to the summit of Snowpeak. There is a cave nearby where a group of my followers and I will be holding your father."

"Don't listen to him Link!" Callum shouted. "Forget about me. You can't allow Brandon to have the last two medallions." A gloved fist shot out from view and struck the Peacekeeper in the face, silencing him.

Brandon continued. "I will warn you, if you and the Order attempt a rescue mission then I will kill Callum on the spot. There are other ways I can reclaim the remaining medallions but this method involves far less bloodshed. You are to come to the exchange point alone. You may bring your precious friends here if you wish but no one else."

Link did not resist when Brandon took back the mirror. "I will allow you some time to think about this, I know that the council tends to take a dreadful while with such matters. However I urge you not to keep us waiting, Snowpeak is an uncomfortably cold place to camp in." With that the cult leader turned and left back out the door, leaving the Hero of Light to decide between the fate of the world and the life of his own father.

* * *

**Okay, I know that most people probably saw this coming and I apologise that there was no fight scene. I just didn't feel like doing one this time round. Sorry if some of you found this chapter to be a little dry.**


	17. Chapter 17: Thicker than Water

**Hey guys. Nearly didn't post this because I've had so much stuff to do lately that I almost forgot about updating. Fear not, I stayed up an extra half hour just to put this up. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Thicker than Water**

"What the hell do you mean we're not going to do anything?" the Hero of Light shouted angrily. As soon as he and his companions returned to the world of light, they went straight to the Peacekeeper council and told them of Brandon's proposal; the two medallions the Order held for Callum's life.

"Even though Callum was one of our best men, the cost of the traitor's deal is too high for us to pay," said a white-bearded man. The council consisted of nine elderly members of the Order, some human, some not. They had listened to the Hero's news intently and locked themselves up for most of the day afterwards to decide what to do. They now had their answer and Link was not happy with it.

"_Is_," he growled. "He's not dead yet. But he will be if we don't help him. Are you really going to just let him die?"

"There is no other choice," said a wrinkled Zora woman. "If we allow the enemy to possess all six of the Sages' medallions then there is little to stop Demise from being resurrected. Sacrificing one life for the sake of millions is the best and only course of action, and Peacekeeper Callum is no doubt well aware of this."

Groose stepped forward. "There has to be something that we can do. Gramps please, we can't just close our eyes and pretend that nothing's happening."

The man who spoke wore his grey hair in a similar fashion to his grandson. "We are not ignoring this but our hands are tied. I am sorry Groose, but as Brandon is expecting a rescue, and has made it clear of what he will do should we attempt one, we do not have any other options."

"The council's decision is final; we will not agree to the traitor's demands," the high councilor stated. "This session is adjourned." The elders filed out of the chamber with none remaining but the three young Peacekeepers. Link's body shook, he was absolutely livid.

"I can't believe this," Midna exclaimed as they exited the building.

"Believe it," Groose said. "Once the council's made up their mind about something it takes something major to get them to change it."

The Twili sighed hopelessly. "Link, I'm sorry." She placed a tender hand on his shoulder.

"This isn't over," Link growled. "I'm not going to just forget that Callum's still alive. I'm going to save him, I owe him that much."

"What do you plan to do?" she asked. "I don't think storming in and breaking Callum out is going to work since Brandon knows you're coming."

"Not if I take the medallions with me." Link had expected resistance there and then yet Midna showed no reaction.

"Then you're going to need help," Groose stated.

The Hero was taken aback by this. "Are you sure? If you get involved then you'll get into as much trouble as I will."

"_We_ will," Midna corrected. "I'm not sitting out on this either, especially if you're about to walk into a possible trap."

"I want to save Callum just as much as you do," Groose told him. "You're not going to be able to pull this off alone so you'll need us if we're going to get your old man back. And don't worry about us sharing the heat afterwards," he added. "We're a team after all, right?"

Link gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks pal. So how are we getting the Fire and Shadow Medallions? Last I heard they're both locked away and I'll bet the council's going to beef up security so that we can't take them. I wouldn't put it past them to suspect what we're up to already."

Groose thought hard for a while. "We might be able to do it if we work quickly though this is going to take some coordination. I've may have a plan but let's not talk about it here." He gave the area a quick look around. There were groups of people here and there but they were all too far away to hear. Even though the three friends had been speaking with hushed voices they decided not to take any chances. This was too important for anyone to know what they were scheming.

* * *

"So let's go over the plan one more time," Groose said as the group sat around his coffee table. They had spent nearly two whole hours discussing how they were going to steal two ancient relics. The thought of betraying the people they had come to see as their friends and neighbours left a bitter taste in their mouths.

The burly redhead pointed to a spot on a crudely drawn map of the base. "First, I'm going to create an explosion here that will attract everybody's attention. The resulting confusion should keep everyone occupied for some time."

Link nodded. "Meanwhile I'll use the distraction to find a way to break into the vault and grab the medallions."

"While I gather all the supplies we'll need and get ready to warp us out of here," Midna concluded. Because of the seriousness of what they were about to do, the entire plan had to be executed perfectly. Once they fled from Skyloft the three would be completely on their own, heading into unknown danger. They had no idea what would happen or what condition they would find Callum in so they had to be prepared for anything. They might need food, bandages and medicine in case things did not turn out well.

"We have to get Callum back," Link said after a nervous silence. "If we fail then it's all over for us." There was more riding on their success than the survival of their senior officer or the world. As agents were unable to return to the outside world the punishment for betraying the Peacekeeper Order like this was death. They had to have something to show for their actions otherwise it would not matter what happened after.

"I feel guilty that I've got the easy job here," Midna said quietly as they all stood up to leave. "Good luck you two, we're going to need it."

* * *

Link never felt so anxious about something before, which made waiting for Groose's signal difficult. He sat on a bench within walking distance of the building where his targets were located, trying hard not to fidget. He was unsuccessful at keeping his face relaxed and composed though he decided that he might be better off that way. Word would have gone around about Brandon's proposition and people might find it odd if Callum's son appeared calm while knowing the man remained hostage to the Demon's Flames.

The minutes crawled by seamlessly as he waited. How long had he been sitting around for now, he could not tell. Link reassured himself over and over again that things were running smoothly and it was just taking his friend time to set up. His body was tense, itching to do something to relieve some of his stress yet he stayed still, he had to avoid attracting unwanted attention from moving around. He had attempted to think of how he could access the vault to focus his thoughts. Groose had informed him that the door was sealed with an aura scanning enchantment, meaning he would need to find someone with the right clearance to get inside. As to who that could be, Link had no idea. The Hero's best bet was to take out a guard if he could and try his luck from there.

A loud blast caused Link to jump in his seat. Passersby turned their heads towards the sudden sound and the rising smoke coming from the other side of the island. People began to run towards the site of the explosion, some started with a cautious walk that grew to an urgent sprint. Fighting the impulse to get moving, Link remained where he sat. Only when the area was deserted did he stand and proceeded to his destination.

He moved carefully through the hallways, ducking for cover at the sound of incoming footsteps and continuing once their owners ran past. Where the path forked Link tried to remember where the vault was and when memory failed he took a chance. Due to the beeping noise his sword made, he could not risk using Fi to help him. This proved to be an inconvenience when he came up to a dead end after taking a wrong turn. His heart rate settled when he finally found the vault but only by a fraction. He was not out of the woods yet.

The vault door was black with no handle. Instead electric blue runes glowed on the surface with a blank circle outlined at shoulder height. Link placed his hand inside the circle and pulled away when the lines turned to red then back again. He hissed in frustration, the vault's security lock did not recognize him. To Link's dismay, he found the area deserted with not a single person in sight to defend the safe from thieves. Why would they, he asked himself. Who on Skyloft would try to break in anyway, besides him of course? Knowing Groose's decoy would not last long, he desperately pulled out a bomb and prepared to light the fuse.

"You're not going to get in like that boy." Link dropped the unarmed explosive as his hand went straight to his sword hilt. He relaxed though when he recognized the voice. Standing in the hall where the Hero had just come from was his mentor Jarret, his back facing him.

"Neither of us has told you this before," the old Twili said, talking to the empty section of corridor in front him, "but I've known Callum since the start of his career. The first time I met him was when I saved his sorry rear from a band of mercenaries, back when I was investigating the sudden death of Hyrule's last king. Because of him and what he knew we were able to save a lot of lives."

Link did not know how to react. A thousand questions ran through his mind but Jarret continued before he could say one of them. "That aura scanner won't let anyone through unless they have access. Fortunately for you, I do."

"So you're going to help me?" Link asked.

The Twili remained facing the opposite direction. "No", he said. The Hero felt a flicker of rage building. "You know, if someone knocked me out from behind and used my hand to open that door, that person would probably take something and run off with it. It would be a real shame since I would never have seen my attacker."

Link saw what his teacher was implying. "Thank you."

"Bring Callum back and if you can, kill that dog, Brandon. If you do that then maybe the council will cut you some slack. Though if they find out I was a part of this then they'll put me on the chopping block, so if they ask I'll deny that we ever had this conversation. Now be gentle, I'm an old man remember."

The Hero of Light walked up behind his mentor. "_Dream Shroud,_" he said and the Twili's body went limp. Link caught him before Jarret collapsed onto the ground and dragged him over to the door. The lock flashed green after a second when he placed the Twili's hand against it then the door slid to the side.

The vault held many curious items within, many of which were ancient weapons. Link saw a golden harp resting on a stand, a silvery wand, as well as a purple, heart-shaped mask kept inside a glass cabinet with more runes traced all around it. He opened the case out of curiosity and stared into the mask's wide, yellow eyes. Something tempted Link to reach his hand in to touch the face but a nagging sensation in the back of his mind stopped him. Shaking his head, the swordsman pulled his hand back and closed the cabinet again then returned to the task at hand.

Link searched quickly though careful not to knock over anything or touch any suspicious objects. In less than a minute he spotted a couple of round objects, one red and the other deep-purple, sitting next together in an open case. The Hero picked them up and deposited them into his magical then exited the room, sealing the door behind him and ran for all it was worth, bolting out into the park outside. No one was there to challenge him as he made his way to the rendezvous point.

Hidden inside the rookery tower he found Midna and Groose, who snapped their heads to him when he arrived. "I've got them," he said, pulling the artifacts out for them to see.

"Good," Midna replied. "We're all ready to go. Groose's bombs started a fire that's keeping everyone busy. We'll be long gone before anyone knows what's happened." She took a deep breath to concentrate then warped the three of them away.

* * *

The summit of Snowpeak was bitter cold and desolate. The blizzard wind tore at the Hero's clothes, sinking its sharp teeth into him and draining at his body heat. Though it was still the middle of the day, the thick storm clouds cut off the sun and blanketed the mountains in darkness. Squinting to see, Link spotted the entrance to the cave that Brandon had mentioned and led his friends to the shelter it would provide.

Inside it was slightly warmer though the air was still chilly. The group continued along the tunnel with the howls of the wind fading the further they went. The dying sound was soon replaced by those made by men and around the next corner Link caught sight of the cultists camped down below. Somehow he had expected there to be a group of something like thirty enemies but after counting them he noticed that the cramped space restricted that number by a third.

He did not rule out the possibility of there being unseen reinforcements but Link felt more confident about their situation. He saw Brandon sitting comfortably by a fire and was sorely tempted to just shoot the man with an arrow from where he stood and be done with it, but that left nineteen henchmen that Callum would be at the mercy off. Speaking of which, Link noticed a figure whose garb was very different from the others. Callum sat not far away from his captor, trussed up with ropes and gagged. Though the man did not struggle against his bonds, Callum kept a contemptuous glare firmly fixed on Brandon.

Link stepped out from cover and climbed down the steep slope. He stood before the cultist band, ready should a conflict ensue if things went wrong. Flames stopped what they were doing and surrounded the Hero's group from all sides with weapons drawn. Brandon rose from up from the ground, casually wiping the dirt from his trousers as though they were all on a relaxing picnic. Link felt angry and sick to the stomach watching him, to see him so sure of himself. It was this man who had driven Link to betray his friends and undo all the hard work he had put in to prevent Demise's revival. He kept his emotions from his face though, he could not afford to make any rash mistakes.

"You took less time to get here than I expected," Brandon spoke calmly, slightly amused. One of his followers pulled Callum to his feet and held a knife to the Peacekeeper's throat. "Now," he continued, "the medallions please, or else I will have to make good with my threat."

Link's glare intensified as he brought out the precious disks. Another cultist approached the Hero and took them from his hands then passed them on to his master. Brandon studied the artefacts for a moment then returned them to the masked follower. "Take these the Lord Ghirahim and inform him that we will be on our way back momentarily." The man bowed and teleported from sight, to where the Hero knew not.

'_Well there goes trying to snatch them back_,' Link grumbled internally. "You got what you wanted, now let Callum go."

Slowly, Brandon turned to the figure holding their hostage and nodded. The cultist withdrew the blade and shoved Callum forward. Link stopped him from falling as he stumbled. With a snap of Midna's fingers, the thick ropes broke apart and fell to the icy floor in pieces. As Callum gave his thanks, Brandon drew out a long sword and pointed it at the group.

"Kill them," he ordered. The orange-clad soldiers rushed forward all at once.

Link's hand flew to the hilt of his sword and he cleaved the first attacker in two with a devastating Mortal Draw. His shield slid down his arm to his right hand, just in time to block an incoming blow from the second enemy. The Hero stabbed and pierced the man's armour before using the sacred blade to intercept cut from his left. Another foe charged in place of his fallen comrade but was struck down by Callum, who had repurposed a sword whose owner no longer needed.

"Now!" Groose shouted. Link pulled his father back at hearing the signal as Midna quickly erected a barrier around them. Groose shot his hand out, "_Din's Fire!_" he roared. Flames erupted from the warrior, lapping over the mystical shield and devouring the enemy force. When the blaze died out, many of the cultists laid dead and burning though others had faster reflexes and protected themselves.

With the fight now on more equal terms, Link broke away and charged for Brandon. The man's body released tiny black Twilight particles but the Peacekeeper was already upon him. Brandon's focus on his warping spell shattered as he raised his own sword to stop Link's downwards slash. The floating squares ceased to flow as the two adversaries clashed steel again and again.

"You know, I had a feeling you would try something like this," the Hero said as their swords locked.

"Now that we have all of the keys to the Well, you have outgrown your usefulness," Brandon growled back. "You've impressed me with the fight you are putting up but in the end it's all over for you. You're alone with the entire Peacekeeper Order after your heads while we are close to achieving our goal. You have lost _Hero_."

"Not yet I haven't." Link dove to the side and rolled over his shoulder around his opponent. He deftly landed on his feet and rose up to slice at Brandon's back. Blood spurted where the Master Sword cut through armour like a hot knife through butter. The cult leader screamed as he fell forward and was silenced when Link drove his sword down through the man's torso. The dying man's body shuddered once more then became still for forever more.

Link raised his head to find that the battle had grown quiet. The cave floor was covered in red and orange with three figures left standing. Thankfully none of his friends were seriously hurt though each was bent over and panting heavily with minor wounds bleeding out. Link pulled his sword out from Brandon's body and flicked it clean. Killing never sat well with the Hero, especially with another person, but he knew that no alternative outcome had been available. He slid the steel back into its scabbard while Callum half-limped towards him.

The thick-bearded man looked down at the corpse sadly. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, old friend," he sighed. He then turned towards his son. "You should have stayed away from here. Now it's almost certain that Demise will return."

Link gave him a hard look. "I wasn't going to leave you to die. Like I've already told him," he pointed to Brandon's body, "I'm not giving up yet. If Demise does rise again, I'll just cut him down and send him back to wherever he came from."

Callum shook his head. "You're headstrong and foolish," he chuckled softly, "but I believe you. I guess it's an inherited trait then. Thank you Link, you saved my life."

"How did you survive?" Groose asked as he and Midna joined them. "Not that I'm complaining, but we saw the volcano collapse on itself. How did you get out?"

The older man's face turned grim. "After you three made your escape, I decided to take a chance at my own. I attempted to warp myself out, but in that split second after I let go off the shielding spell I was hit in the head by debris. I made it out alive but I must have been knocked out again because the next thing I remember is waking up in a dungeon. Not the best way to wake up, I'll tell you."

"Ghirahim must have found you and took you back to use you as a hostage," Link theorised.

"Doubt it," Midna frowned. "That guy was fully intent on killing us back then."

"From what Brandon told me, a group of his men found me a few miles out from their main base," Callum said. "They brought me back and he came up with the idea to use me for ransom. I'm glad that's all behind us now. It will be good to finally get back home."

Link looked at Midna and Groose uncomfortably. "That's if we aren't thrown into a prison cell when we get there."

* * *

**And another chapter finished. We are very close to the end now folks. You may have noticed that many of the spells I used in this story have been play-ons of various magical abilities from the games. Though I decided to keep the original names for the goddess powers from OoT, I had planned to create new incantations for them. Din's Fire would have been 'Fire Storm', Farore's Wind would have been 'Wind Step' and Nayru's Love would have been 'Love Guard'. I honestly think I made the right decision with what names to use for these powers.**

**Next week: What will happen when Link and the gang return to Skyloft after losing the last of the medallions?**


End file.
